Burt Gershater
Posted inCulture

A Fairy Tale About You

Our early years do not always indicate what will come later in life. It’s way more interesting than that. Hang on tight.
by Burt Gershater

Imagine your life is actually a fairy tale and you, yes you, play a key role in this illuminating story. What follows is an age-old yarn about love, its all-too-common challenges and the magical route back home to peace… Once upon a time, in the Village of Peace in the Oregoneous Region of Heavenly Love, […]

Posted inCulture

Increase Our Daily Smiles: One smile is worth more than we can imagine. More are even better.

More are even better.
by Burt Gershater

I just finished my morning prayers and dance-exercise routine. A soft smile has found its way onto my face, which, for whatever reasons, wasn’t there when I first opened my eyes. Smiles are often not there as we make the transition into the daylight. My daily mind-body-spirit practice predictably exposes a few gems of light that […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

Kiss your refrigerator
by Burt Gershater

Really? Really! I kissed mine for the first time ever last week and after just one kiss, I recommend it for everyone. Many of you who have been reading my messages over this past year likely know I am a woodstove lover, fanatic, connoisseur…all the above and more. In my younger days, when we lived […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

From Sadness to Heaven
by Burt Gershater

I apologize from the get-go. I wrote something like this message in one of my earlier columns, but I promise, from the bottom of my heart, to take you on a much different journey this time. This is our eleventh month living in beautiful Bend, Oregon. A lot has happened during our time here…and a […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

The Guy in the Hat
by Burt Gershater

Some things are perfect and perfect basically means as good as it could possibly be. Perfection. How many things in our lives meet this highest standard? I recently asked my wife, Wendy, “Are trees perfect?” Pretty quickly she answered, “Yes, trees are perfect.” She didn’t know where I was going with this and to tell […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

I Need You. It’s true. Need is the right word. We really do need each other.
by Burt Gershater

Sometimes, we human beings like to believe we are independent. That may be the silliest idea we could ever entertain. A few years ago, my wife Wendy and I bought a new, used car—a 2014 Nissan Murano. We loved it from the moment it backed off the truck and landed in our ever-grateful possession. Smooth […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

Bike Ride Wisdom: A crash. A change of plans. Life at its best.
by Burt Gershater

A few weeks ago, I drove west on the Cascade Lakes Highway toward Mt. Bachelor to scout out some mountain bike trails. Something new would be great and there are uncountable beautiful places to bike when you are fortunate enough to live in or visit Central Oregon. My new biking partner is Natalie, our cool, athletic, […]

Posted inCulture

Awakening Your Inner Hero

Bananas in Bend
by Burt Gershater

Hmmm. Think about it for a second. Where do bananas come from? Almost none of them come from our own country. Ninety-four percent come from Central America, which is approximately 4,000 miles south of Bend. Every grocery store in Bend will tell you that bananas are one of the best-selling items in the entire store. […]

Posted inCulture

Where Did the Time Go?

Awakening Your Inner Hero: A column to help locals live a kinder and more courageous life
by Burt Gershater

Where Did the Time Go? As many of you know, I am a recent resident of Bend. My wife Wendy and I have been here six months, after living in Flagstaff, Arizona, for 50 years. We’re still a bit disoriented, but we do know how to get to a few more places in Bend this […]

Posted inCulture

Light My Fire

How do you keep your spirits up? What are your secrets?
by Burt Gershater

I started the fire in our wood stove this morning. What a joy! It’s been a routine in my life for over 50 years. This winter and spring, our first in Bend, it’s been my morning duty. For many years Wendy woke up early and carefully placed the finely cut kindling over the wrinkled-up newspaper, lit […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article