Not that Neil

I was reading this morning about thirty eight year old Neil Allen Armstrong, a financial services professional from Cincinnati. He says he constantly gets calls and packages from autograph seekers, school children and reporters. He tries to explain he’s not the Neil Armstrong who was the first man to walk on the moon but people don’t always believe him.

Neil Alden Armstrong, the 78-year-old former astronaut, lives nearby in Indian Hills. He rarely appears in public but has been all over the news again recently with the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

Armstrong, the non-astronaut, says he has never met his namesake but would welcome the opportunity. For now, he’ll just continue telling people he’s not that Neil.

Thankfully Rodney Olsen isn’t a famous name so I don’t get confused with anyone else. Mind you, a few years ago if you googled my name you were likely to see details for a Rodney Olsen from Iowa who disappeared back in 1986. I’m not that Rodney Olsen.

How about you? Have you been mistaken for someone with the same or a similar name? Has it worked to your advantage?



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He has worked in radio at Perth's media ministry Sonshine for over 25 years and has previously worked at ministries such as Compassion Australia and Bible Society.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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3 Comments

  • People are CONSTANTLY confusing me with other people but I do have a ‘common as mud’ name!

  • …Rodney Olsen from Iowa who disappeared back in 1986. I’m not that Rodney Olsen.

    So says you. What better cover than to move to Australia 😉

    Back in college I worked part-time in an office helping with filing and errands and such. Over one weekend there was a Jeff Mountz (different middle name – I’d no clue who he was) in the area that committed suicide. It was in the Sunday paper. You should’ve seen the looks on my coworkers’ faces when I came into work on Monday.

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