Thursday, February 18, 2010

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

What do the latest trends in Children's Literature have to do with what's going on in Vancouver BC?    
The downhill skiers taking the medals are setting the bar high. Lindsey Vonn who took the gold yesterday on a mountain of ice despite the pain of an injured shin has shown us how blonds have more fun....by strapping on the men's skis and going for it!
At the bottom of the mountain her mascara mingled slightly with tears of joy and gratitude for winning the prize she'd sacrificed so much to win. She skied with all her might and collapsed momentarily, taking in the moment and then searching for her husband and family who were all there to cheer her on and rejoice with her in victory.
The go for broke style of the Olympic stars like skier Linsey Vonn and snowboarder, Shaun White are a lesson to us all. Maybe we all can't ski downhill or pull corkskrews on the Half Pipe but we can aspire to that dedication and perseverance that marks a winner and take that winning attitude into our respective fields of endeavor.
Along with the trend to risky behavior in the sport culture whether it be on the downhill slopes or high above the Half Pipe or half-dressed on the pages of Sports Illustrated,
Olympians are taking chances and blazing new trails.  Average kids who may be less physically endowed who want to make their mark or receive notoriety may have to find their rewards in the virtual world or in the pages of a good novel. The popularity of the Harry Potter series which features broomstick-riding kids with magical powers has been followed up by another youthful protagonist, in the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.  Percy is diagnosed with ADHD like increasingly more kids today and in the story he finds out his mother mated with an Olympian resulting in his special status. Kids who have been put on Ritalin are eating up these books like candy and Hollywood has gotten on the bandwagon. A new series will draw heavily on Egyptology rather than the gods of Mount Olympus. We can surely ask ourselves at what point did we lose control of our children? When we could no longer self-identify as a Christian nation we started down the slippery slope. As we watch kids lose control going over icy patches and moguls we must as a nation take responsibility for the wreckage at the bottom of the hill.
  
SPEAKING of SLIPPERY SLOPES....
In 2004 the decision to allow Gay Marriage in Massachusetts was being debated in a blog on Boston.com.
I was asked as a conservative commentator to participate. I was working as Communications Director for Mass Family Institute at the time and could not continue due to conflict of interest issues.
http://www.boston.com/news/special/gay_marriage/blogs/chrisfunnell5.html