Born Storytellers

August 30, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

Our family headed off to a book launch yesterday afternoon.  The book is part of the Born Storytellers series which contains short stories written by various school students.

Kevin Price chose to be a professional writer in 1987. He began as a columnist for an advertising industry magazine and a lifestyle magazine before moving on to copywriting for local advertising agencies and businesses.

While he still writes advertising, he now also teaches storycraft to bright young minds in Western Australian schools and writers centres and edits the resulting works for the Born Storyteller books. He completed his first novel in 2007, which remains unpublished. He is married, has two daughters, and writes in his rural studio in the hills north of Perth in Western Australia.

Since its inception in 2005, Kevin has delivered his creative writing program, Learn to Write like A Born Storyteller in ten West Australian schools and a leading writers centre. He has edited and published over 200 young authors in 18 volumes.

We were very proud to hear our daughter, Emily, read part of her story at the launch. I can now say that she’s a published author.

Kevin Price, who taught the students the skills they needed to get their story to publication, spoke about the power of stories and how important story tellers have been throughout history. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the students from the four schools that had their books launched yesterday was indeed powerful.

I really believe that we were created to have a very strong connection to stories. Stories can connect us with each other and our creator in very powerful ways. Stories can be so much more than an entertaining read on a lazy afternoon. We can’t afford to neglect the importance of storytelling.

There was a great collection of talented storytellers at the launch yesterday. I certainly hope they’ll all continue to put their storytelling skills to great use.



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I Get It Now

July 15, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

I’m finding more and more that being a parent myself helps me understand my own parents better. I guess it’s only natural that I’m seeing things through a dad’s eyes these days.

I remember at times when I was ill as a child that my dad would start feeling ill too. He didn’t like seeing his kids sick and so his body would react to knowing that his children weren’t feeling 100%.

Our son James starting feeling unwell just before dinner last night, which is always better than afterwards because I know it can’t have been my cooking. He only ate a little of his dinner because he was getting stomach cramps. A little while after going to bed he became very distressed and then threw up a couple of times.

He’s a whole lot better today but seeing him hurting last night sent my tummy into a bit of a spin. I didn’t just feel sorry for him; it made me feel physically ill.

I only wish that my father was still around so that I could say, “Hey dad, I get it now.”

Have you started seeing things differently as you move through different stages of life? Has getting a little older helped you to see things from someone else’s perspective? I’d love to read your experiences. Please leave a comment or two.



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Sorry Pauline

July 1, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
3 Comments

If this article at News.com.au is right, Pauline’s in big trouble.

It claims that the more time you spend with someone, the more similar you become, and that includes the way you look. I’ve heard that dogs begin to look like their owners but couples looking like each other takes it to a whole new level.

US research comparing photographs of the same couples as newlyweds and snaps taken 25 years later found many had grown to look more like each other over time because people in close contact mimic each other’s facial expressions.

I could do with a touch of Pauline’s beauty and I wouldn’t mind a thicker head of hair but I’m not convinced she would be keen on looking more like me. The longer couples stay together the more alike they become and considering that we’re intedning on sticking together ’til death do us part’ there may be very little hope.

Dr Ruth Walker from the Flinders Centre for Ageing Studies at Flinders University said similarities between couples could also have health impacts.

“If one person’s mood is quite negative, even depressive it will affect the other person, as it will if they’re happy,” she said.

Have you seen older couples becoming more and more similar in mannerisms, moods, interests, behaviours and looks?



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Happy Birthday Mum

June 23, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
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I miss my mum …. a lot …. especially on days like today.

If mum had lived she would have turned 90 today. She passed away on the 28th of February, 1987, at the age of just 66.

Please excuse me if I’m a little bit distant from time to time today or if I act a little odd. Well, odder than I usually act anyway.

They say that time heals but I’m not completely convinced. I think the truth may be a combination of healing over time and the the fact that time helps us learn how to cope with missing a loved one.

Memories continue to fade yet a word, a sight or a sound can bring back vivid recollections and a sadness that mum’s not here anymore.

Thankfully we had a good relationship so there are no regrets of things left unsaid or undone.

The best news of all is that we will meet again one day in a place where there will be no more tears and no more pain. I’m not so keen on hastening that day but I do look forward to it …. and it makes me smile.



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Privilege and Responsibility

June 11, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
1 Comment

Tomorrow my beautiful daughter turns 14.

Emily has brought me more happiness than I could have ever imagined possible, but not everyone gets to celebrate such milestones. It is only becuase she was born in a developed country like Australia that she has had the opportunity to grow up in the amazing young lady she is today. I don’t take that for granted and I can’t help but feel deeply for millions of parents around the world who battle to simply keep their children alive.

Tomorrow we’ll celebrate fourteen healthy years for our eldest child. In many countries it’s a major achievement for any child to just make it to the age of five.

Every day, over 24,000 children under the age of five die from mostly preventable and treatable causes, such as diarrhoea, malaria, measles, pneumonia and HIV/AIDS. They don’t die for a lack of knowledge or science-we know how to prevent thousands of these children from dying each day-we simply need to put our knowledge into action. It’s not up to philanthropists, non-government organisations, religions, governments or individuals alone: this will take all of our efforts, working together.

One of the things that I hope Emily has learned is that with privilege comes responsibility. We live in an amazing country and although we are far from being rich by Australian standards, when we look around the world and then at our circumstances we see how good things are for our family. That means we have a responsibility to help others in more difficult circumstances.

Our finances are pretty tight at the moment but we still have a very good roof over our heads, food in our tummies and a whole lot more. Millions around the world don’t have any of that.

Of the approximately 2.2 billion children living in the world today, more than half are living in poverty. That means they lack opportunity and options, and face challenges that can rob them of even basic rights: safety, good health, education and enough food to develop properly. Today’s children embody tomorrow’s world, and uneducated, malnourished, poor children are likely to become tomorrow’s uneducated, malnourished, poor adults.

One of the ways we help others is through Compassion Child Sponsorship.

I know that most of us don’t have too much to spare at the moment, but please consider helping others who have nothing. I’ve been to developing countries and seen the work Compassion does first hand. Believe me, they do amazing work. The money does get through and it makes a world of difference.

I’m so thankful that I have two healthy children. I want to ensure that other parents know what that’s like too so I’ll continue to support Compassion.

Please think about how you can change the life of a child and their family through Compassion Child Sponsorship.



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