I Love My Wife

It’s not often that you find yourself in a position to publish something intimate, dare I say positive.

To buck the trend of social norms, take a different track to what apparently is becoming the morally acceptable position and state loudly that I love my wife – and I’m proud to wear a wedding ring.

We’ve been married over 10 years and are still blissfully in love.

Sure I write this and know we’ve had problems, faced difficulties and still today face many challenges – but gees it’s good to face them together.

My Wife is a Legend

I don’t mind admitting that I think my wife’s a legend, not to mention beautiful and downright sexy!

Sorry to shout it but can’t a married man still find his wife of over 10 years stunning, gorgeous, alluring!

And no! I’m not just after brownie points, or run out of things to blog about!

It’s a desire to put it out there that this here blogger appreciates and loves his wife just simply for being there.

I understand as I’m in my forties we are just too old to be amorous, married too long for any of that stuff! No longer are meant to find each other desirable – but stuff it … what’s wrong with a one horse race! At least I can safely bet on the winner.

I don’t want to risk being a statistic, lose what is treasured so greatly. So as a matter of opportunity I publicly declare I have an awesome wife and feel blessed to have kept her this long.

May we wake in each others arms for another decade, and more, appreciating our lives and bond together and buck the Hollywood myth of greener pastures.

That’s all!

The Muppets

For the first time in close to a year I’m trekking off to the movies!

Not just any old block buster or box office hit – no today, with kids in tow, it’s The Muppet Domination.

Dare I confess that the choice was made much simpler having enjoyed the Muppets as a kid, and Labyrinth.

Jim Henson’s Genius

What a whizz Jim Henson was – his contribution to puppetry and to technology was as great as Steve Jobs.

Seriously, the whole concept of puppetry was taken to a whole new level with the Muppets. No animated sequences and Walt Disney cartoons – but a huge cast and crew bringing to life Kermit, Miss Piggy and Animal! Sorry Fozzy, can’t forget about you.

So, I’ll drag myself to the movies, sit through a long boring G rated film … And love every minute of it!

Go the Muppets resurgence! Back to the Muppets Domination!

Rites of Passage

In cultures throughout history the journey through age has been marked by the rites of passage.

Wikipedia defines it as: “a rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person’s progress from one status to another.”

From the tribes of Africa to the Australian Aborigines the journey from boy to man is marked by a whole host of trials, tests and rites of passage. Some of the most extraordinary are captured on 10 Bizarre Rites of Passage. Including the Vanuatu land divers, who as an act of manhood climb rickety old structures and dive headfirst to the ground – it’s bungee jumping Vanuatu style! As the boy gets older he climbs higher and plummets headlong towards the ground.

From Boy to Man

So too in modern Western society the rites of passage are marked by key events in a young man’s life.

My son is encountering one of his earlier rites of passage. Unlike other cultures he doesn’t have to confront lions, leap off rickety structures or be isolated with groups of men. No, my son’s rite of passage is much worse, more confronting – he’s embarking on the modern day rites of passage! It deserves a heading …

The Modern Rites of Passage

The modern rite of passage my son is confronted with is the dreaded tooth fairy! That’s right, no lions, no fearful leaps off towers, Fletch has a wobbly tooth and is awaiting its release so he can receive the fabled stash from the tooth fairy.

But our modern rites of passage go beyond just the tooth fairy, there are others, so here’s my top 10 list of modern rites of passage:

Top 10 Rites of Passage

• The move from The Wiggles to Ben 10
• Standing up to go to the loo
• Sitting in the front seat of the car
• Owning your first DSi or numerous other i devices
• Money for the canteen
• Tying up your own shoelaces
• Pocket money!!!
• Learning the mantra “no, I can do it”
• First day of big school (kindergarten)
• The art of deception – at 12 asking “what is Santa bringing this year?”

I’m guessing there are a few Westernised rites of passage I’ve missed, they may only be geographically limited to Australia … any others?

The Simple Life

There’s something to be said for simplicity.

The simple pleasure of a cup cake that makes the day of my children – how cool would it be to still find immense joy in something like a cupcake.

Sausage Roll n Sauce

So how would you eat a sausage roll?

For Fletch it was sideways – which happens to be the messiest, and most unusual way I’ve ever seen!

The ingenuity of children – always a fresh approach. I love it!

The Maca’s Phenomenom

Why is it that McDonalds is so appealing to kids?

The colours? The food? Toys? Well it’s all that plus the experience.

We all love eating out

I was watching my kids devour burgers/nuggets and chips like they hadn’t eaten since Christmas! While a home cooked meal meets the chorus of “I don’t like it”.

I guess us adults have similar views of going out to a nice restaurant, cooked by someone else, then cleaned by someone else!

I’m not a huge fan of Maca’s but got to give it to them for creating an experience that appeals to kids, and a safe haven for parents.

Love them or hate them – they are good at what they do.

Children & Technology

I guess I shouldn’t be amazed but kids and technology just go hand in hand. By 4, my son just can’t wait to get his hands on my iPhone, navigate his way through to photo accessories, start taking pics with various special designs, without any thought as to what he is doing. No appreciation of the tools, the endless programming, the amazing advances, the history of SLR’s and the fact that creating these sorts of effects, only a decade ago, required significant skill and training. Now, point, click, review, add effect – semi professional 4 year old abstract photography.

By seven, well my daughter is an old hand! Taking photos with special effects, whoopie! Now she’s asking can we post this to Facebook. I’m waiting for her to ask about creating her own social profile.

Gen X First Wave

As part of Gen X, we were at the forefront of home pc technology and gaming. So tech comes almost second nature to us – yet to my children, wow there’s never been life without it.

With Twitter, Facebook, iPhone’s, eyetoy’s and more already here what’s the glimpse of gaming, of technology in the future?

Virtual reality has been around for decades, but is really emerging now. When I used to work with Commodore we played with early VR, Amiga’s and more. Running PC shows, I remember then how advanced some of the users were – how much more so today.

Speed of Change

Obviously age is starting to creep in – rather than crave the next wave of technology, I’m finding it a little too expensive to want to keep up … just want my new gadget to be relevant for more than a blink of an eye. The kids however, the faster the better – Dad, kids at school said we should have this or that app! How do they even know!

Architect of a Generation

I came across this poem written many years ago – it was one of my favourites and was written pre children

(April, 2001)

I was given inspiration
From an unexpected source
The setting of an old wares store
Proved the unlikely resource

A woman spoke to me of children
Of advise given by her mum
Passed to her many years ago
At the birth of her new born son

She proceeded to explain
Though her mum was not profound
That those words offered early
For her life she was bound …

“A child’s not property
A child you cannot own
Although you’ll spend years creating
It more a kind of loan”

“A child’s like a building
Your job is to build the base
They will build the structure
That’s offered to the human race”

So as the architect of a generation
Ensure the supports are sound
For within another thirty years
Their turn will come around.