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Showing posts from June, 2023

The Barber of North Portland

 Going to the barber shop is an entirely different experience in 2023 than it was as a kid in the 1950s and 60s.  Back then,  it was a man's world with calendars, magazines, and conversation. It was all male-centered.   There was one barber who specialized in cutting women's hair, but I only saw him do that a few times in my first 20 years.  Today, I go to what I like to call, "my hipster barber shop."  Depending on the time of day, you can sip a beer or some good whiskey while waiting.  There are a few coffee table-type books but most folks just amuse themselves on their smartphones.  Those phones are used for obtaining appointments and making payments, including tips for the work done. In my barber shop today, the haircutters are both men and women.  An equal number usually.  But what I like most is the conversation I enjoy with my favorite barber there.  He's young, 26, and loves to chat.  He's also very good at what he...

Silver Path

 On the eve of my 25th Wedding Anniversary  Our slow dance continues,    We walk this silver path together  into a new forest. We have received the greatest gift of all,           Time The best rest on this sojourn is the    Space we find available...always. We are only alone with ourselves when it matters,    Beyond fear and despair, The music plays ever slowly for partners     Who care, and are there.

Cap n' Gun

      It was bound to happen.  A shooting at a high school graduation just seems par for the course these days.  I can't think of a worse place for panic.  As a veteran of at least 30 high school graduations, I've seen them decline in quality and substance.  For that reason, I volunteered to run the tryouts and judging of grad speakers at my high school.  I did that for about 10 years.  Of course, there were other judges that included students and parents.  A well-balanced approach.     What I noticed is that the ceremony of the graduation became increasingly less formal.  So much so that it began to feel like a mockery.  Aside from students dancing or romping, or strutting across the stage, the parents often were most out of control.  The "ceremony was so noisy on the occasion that no one could hear anything.       It got so bad that most educators I know couldn't wait for it all to end....