Party Peer Pressure

April 29, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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cakes

I really don’t remember having birthday parties when I was young. That’s not to say that I didn’t. I just don’t remember them.

I know I had at least one party during my primary school days because I still recall mum wondering why I had invited Murray Lorimer. She knew all my friends and she’d never heard of Murray before. I know I invited him but I can’t even remember whether he was at the party because I don’t remember the party. It was a long time ago.

Parties these days are a little different. They’re a major event. If your five year old doesn’t remember the $4000 you spent on their birthday I guess you’d make sure that there were enough photos of the day so that they could never forget. Yep … that’s right … $4000 for a five year old’s birthday party.

Parents are going to great lengths to pull off large-scale events, some worth thousands of dollars, for their beloved children, says director of Bash Events Alison Chibnall.

“We did a party that cost about $4000; that one was for a five-year-old,” she says.

“I think the cheapest one we’ve done was about $1200.

”It is almost like parents feel they need to outdo the other parents. Each party needs to be bigger, better and have more.” – News.com.au

I do wonder if it’s about providing something wonderful for their children or more about how the parents are perceived by others. Have you felt pressured to put on a big party for your children?

Peer pressure doesn’t end when you reach a certain age. It’s always there.

Maybe you’ve felt pressured in other ways to live up to the expectation of others. You may not even have children but there are still lots of ways that we feel we have to live up to the standards that others are setting.

I’d love to hear about how you feel pressured to do things a certain way or focus your attention on certain things. When have you been swayed to go down a certain road because it was an expectation from peers, parents, children, co-workers or someone else?

Do you regret actions you took at some stage because you felt pressured?



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National Day of Thanksgiving 2013

April 29, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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NDOT_09v4
Have you ever noticed how good it feels when someone gives a simple but heartfelt thank you? A simple acknowledgement can lift our spirits and give us a greater reason to keep going and to increase our efforts.

We know what a difference it can make to our attitude and how it can really lift us, which makes me wonder why we don’t make more of an effort to thank others.

Who is there in your life who deserves to be thanked?

On Saturday the 25th of May Australians are invited to celebrate the National Day of Thanksgiving . The day was first celebrated on the 17th of June in 2003 and has endorsed by the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Governor General.

It’s simply a day to say thank you. The official website emphasises that this isn’t just another event, but an opportunity to thank those who help make up our community.

The National Day of Thanksgiving is a unique opportunity for Australians to celebrate and give thanks for our God given heritage as a nation and to demonstrate the God given values of honour, respect, thankfulness and gratitude towards our fellow man that have made us the great nation we are.

It is a day for us to pause as a nation and say thank you to God and to each other for those many things we often take for granted but which really make our lives worth living. Let us use this day to be a blessing to those who have been a blessing to us during the past year.

Who will you be thanking? Maybe you can give the local police a call to thank them for the tough work they do within our community. What about hospital workers? Do you know someone who provides a service the community that deserves a pat on the back?

How about someone at work who makes your day easier but often misses out on any recognition?

Is there someone in your family that deserves some thanks for the unseen things they do that help things run smoothly at your place?

When was the last time you said thanks to God for the gift of life itself?

Even though this is an Australian initiative, you don’t have to be living down under to take a few moments to reflect on those people who deserve to hear you say thank you.

Each year, as well as giving opportunity for us to thank the many people who make our lives and society better, we’re asked to focus on specific sectors of the community. There two groups in focus in 2013.

Judicial System
We are thanking people who work in the judicial system, including solicitors, barristers, judges, court officials, police and administrative staff.

Youth making a difference
We are also honouring and thanking young people (perhaps under 30 years of age) who are leading their generation by their example of community service. Also, those who are showing leadership in organisations within their local community, church, etc.

Who will you be thanking? Make your plans today.



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Jersey Boys in Perth

April 25, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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JerseyBoys

If you have young children who enjoy the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, buy them an album or DVD, but don’t take them to see Jersey Boys. If you have a friend or family member who is offended by frequent coarse language, don’t take them to Jersey Boys. (Unless you think you can convince them the cast is just saying ‘fudge’ or ‘funk’ an awful lot.)

If, however, you’re prepared for a fair bit of language and some occasional sexual themes, you’ll have a %#$&#@# good night out. The show’s website warns that it’s not recommended for children under 12 due to strong “authentic Jersey” language. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone not prepared for the strong content.

JERSEY BOYS is the story of how four boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time.

Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, The Four Seasons, wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were thirty.

JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs
“Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Rag Doll”, “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, among others.

Having sounded that warning, I need to say that the show is amazing. Pauline and I were at the opening night show and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. It tells the story of the band well and had me searching details online when I got home. I wanted to know even more about their rise to fame.

One of the things I found in my search is that Frankie Valli himself believes the show to be about 95% accurate. Not a bad endorsement.

The music is stunning and the band members work well together to provide the harmonies that you’d expect from a show about The Four Seasons. I’m sure that the original band members have seen a rise in royalty cheques since Jersey Boys started on Broadway back in 2005. As the show continues you hear hit after hit and you’re reminded what great songs the band produced before they called it a day.

Jersey Boys is structured as four “seasons” with each season each narrated by a different band member giving different perspectives on the group’s history and music.

Jersey Boys is playing at the Crown Theatre until the 9th of June.



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Lest We Forget – ANZAC Day 2013

April 25, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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Olsens in Uniform

ANZAC Day, the 25th of April, has been described as Australia’s most important national occasion. While many public holidays are just about getting an extra day off, ANZAC Day has real significance for many Australians.

It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. While the date is aligned with that event in the First World War, the day is a remembrance of all those who have been to war to protect our freedom.

ANZAC Day goes beyond the anniversary of the landing on Gallipoli in 1915. It is the day we remember all Australians who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The spirit of ANZAC, with its human qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity. On ANZAC day, ceremonies are held in towns and cities across the nation to acknowledge the service of our veterans.

Sadie OlsenMy parents served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. (You can click on any of the photos for a closer look. As well as the individual photos of my parents, the top picture shows my dad on the far right with his father and two of his brothers.)

I’ve been watching television coverage of several ANZAC ceremonies today. After all these years the support for these commemorations continues to grow as the stories of heroism are remembered. As I look at the faces of those who served our country I see the pain as they remember their service during the dawn services as well as the joy of being remembered as they travel the route of the marches along city streets. When they see the faces n the crowds and hear the cheering as they pass, they know that this country is grateful for their sacrifice and the sacrifice of those who didn’t make it home.
Tom Olsen
War is a terrible thing, and I’m glad that I’ve never had to fight, but I am grateful for the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our country. I shudder when I imagine what it would be like to face a hostile enemy, knowing that any moment could be my last.

I would hate to have to go to war. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to say goodbye to my loved ones, not knowing if I’d ever see them again. Having kids of my own, I don’t even want to think about the parents that have seen their children go to war. My hope is that we will continue to work towards finding better, peaceful ways to overcome conflict. War should never be the answer.

ANZAC Day isn’t about glorifying war, it’s about paying our respects to those who put their lives on the line for their countrymen and the generations to come.



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Instant Adventures

April 19, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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road

It only happens once or perhaps twice a year but Wednesday turned out to be one of those days.

I always carry spares when I’m cycling but on Wednesday morning I had a flat tyre on the way to work. I changed the tube and started pumping when my spare tube failed. I’m usually quite self-sufficient when it comes to repairs on the road but this time I was stuck.

I phoned my wife, Pauline, and she dropped everything to pick me up and drive me to work. It was a kind of instant adventure for Pauline, but probably not one she was thrilled about.

That incident got me thinking about other instant adventures like the time that a friend who was starting a new job in Geraldton on a Monday rang us on the Sunday evening to say his car was broken down half way there. Pauline and I dropped everything, jumped in the car and headed up to collect him and drop him in Geraldton before turning around to drive home; a round trip of about 860 kilometres.

I had a similar instance years before with a friend returning from a trip down south. Following a frantic phone call about his broken down car, another friend and I headed a few hours south to rescue him.

A few months ago some friends on the east coast of Australia had an instant adventure when an elderly relative died in a very, very small town in the middle of Australia. The two brothers set off immediately to drive for several days to help their elderly grandmother who was now on her own in the town. They posted regular road trip updates on Facebook, including some very entertaining videos.

I’m wondering when you’ve had an instant adventure. When have you had to drop everything? Where did you end up? Was it a road trip or did you have to fly somewhere in a hurry?



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