Speaker 1: I Heeart podcasts. You can hear more gold one I
Speaker 1: four point three podcasts, playlist and listen live on the
Speaker 1: free iHeart app. Got anything good?
Speaker 2: Hey, this is the Christian O'Connell show podcast.
Speaker 1: All right, So we're going to do this in the
Speaker 1: next half an hour and it's I think something you'll
Speaker 1: enjoy doing this. I'm asking you to tell me about
Speaker 1: the story of your year in six words. Now. The
Speaker 1: reason why it's six years six words is that actually hemingway,
Speaker 1: so that you can tell a great story. You don't
Speaker 1: need to write a great, big novel. You can tell
Speaker 1: a story in just six words. So this year, when
Speaker 1: you think about what's happened in your life, in our lives,
Speaker 1: in any year, there's so much change that goes on.
Speaker 1: There's so much joy, there's so much happiness, there's so
Speaker 1: much regret, there so much loss, all of it what
Speaker 1: it is to be alive, us human, gloriously messy human.
Speaker 1: So have a think about your year, and how would
Speaker 1: you tell me the story of it in six words?
Speaker 1: So give you an example for me. I was thinking
Speaker 1: about this last night. How would I sum up this
Speaker 1: year another year of extraordinary just change in my life?
Speaker 1: At home and at work, and I was thinking. Yesterday evening,
Speaker 1: my wife and I closed the door, literally closed the door,
Speaker 1: and it felt like the closing of a not a
Speaker 1: chapter in our lives, but the entire book of our
Speaker 1: lives on our family home that we've had since we
Speaker 1: moved to Australia seven years ago. And obviously when we
Speaker 1: moved here, both of our daughters were on the cast.
Speaker 1: We're becoming teenagers. They're now nineteen and twenty one. They
Speaker 1: don't live at home anymore. We've sold the family home.
Speaker 1: We've downside, we moved out. Last night was the last
Speaker 1: night I closed the door. My wife was getting emotional.
Speaker 1: She said, Chris, I can't better close the little Can
Speaker 1: you close the door and get it go and wait
Speaker 1: in the car. I looked into that house and it
Speaker 1: was like at a museum. It wasn't a home anymore.
Speaker 1: It was like, this isn't a home anymore. Now, this
Speaker 1: is somebody else's home. I felt like I needed to
Speaker 1: get out of here. And actually, the new people they
Speaker 1: move in to that at midday, and they've got young kids,
Speaker 1: they've already picked out the bedrooms, and it feels like
Speaker 1: it's already moving on. So how would I describe this year?
Speaker 1: For me? This year'll be the leaving and the growing year.
Speaker 1: Both of those things are in our lives, aren't they.
Speaker 1: So for me it's like Jack at work leaving the show.
Speaker 1: Not the year I thought we were going to get
Speaker 1: this year on the show, nowhere near it. But Jack
Speaker 1: suddenly left the show and with all my love as well,
Speaker 1: and I wish him all the best. But Jack suddenly
Speaker 1: left in the middle of this year. But with that
Speaker 1: leaving our youngest daughter turned leaving home as well, tremendous
Speaker 1: growth as well. The show has changed Jack I hired.
Speaker 1: You know, when I start the show seven years ago,
Speaker 1: it's me Jack and pats him. Leaving suddenly this year
Speaker 1: was a really big thing. I wanted, how we're going
Speaker 1: to how were we going to get through it? How
Speaker 1: were we going to grow through it? But we did.
Speaker 1: I'm very, very proud of the show this year, and
Speaker 1: real came along and Alex kmerlong so as much as
Speaker 1: it's been the leaving year at home and youngest daughter
Speaker 1: moving out, and then Jackie Boy, which feels like another
Speaker 1: sort of kid I had as well, moving after family
Speaker 1: radio show home. That's how woud summon up in six words.
Speaker 1: For me, it's the leaving year but also the growing year.
Speaker 1: It's been an amazing year. I've loved this year. There's
Speaker 1: been leaving and there's been growing. So yeah, that's it
Speaker 1: for me. Patsy, what's it for you?
Speaker 3: I love that This for me, I think it's this
Speaker 3: version of us even richer, and it's kind of a
Speaker 3: little parallel to yours in a way in that Chris
Speaker 3: and I coming up to Christmas have really been lamenting
Speaker 3: about you know, there's no Christmas Elf anymore. There's no
Speaker 3: going to visit Santa. There won't be making the reindeer
Speaker 3: food to leave out on Christmas Eve because Audrey is
Speaker 3: going on, you know, very close to fifteen now, and
Speaker 3: it's like where have those years gone? The years are
Speaker 3: going so fast, But what has replaced it is this
Speaker 3: beautiful you know, we're pivoting into this beautiful, rich sort
Speaker 3: of experience with her as she grows into herself. So
Speaker 3: you know, she's really into a theater this year. We've
Speaker 3: been to two live performances with Odds and just seeing
Speaker 3: her shine and in her element. She's sung in front
Speaker 3: of the school a couple of times, and she's just
Speaker 3: got into this amazing peer program at school for next year.
Speaker 3: She's charting her course as she should, and to see
Speaker 3: that as a parent is beautiful and so Chris and
Speaker 3: I have got to catch up to that. So we
Speaker 3: feel like we're doing this massive, big pivot and it is.
Speaker 3: It feels like a really big year in that we're
Speaker 3: setting the course for twenty twenty six. We're all, you know,
Speaker 3: doing our own thing and rocking with that. But the
Speaker 3: major thing for us is our home life and just
Speaker 3: axling into wear hernw orbit and moving along with it.
Speaker 3: You'd know what obviously what that's like with the girls, but.
Speaker 1: It's a big thing. People don't talk about this from
Speaker 1: mums and dads, right They talk about what happens with
Speaker 1: the kids and the teenage and stuff like that. You're right,
Speaker 1: that age that already is out now that fifteen sixteen seventeen,
Speaker 1: when the girls were going through that, they really start
Speaker 1: to see their character being revealed. You know. It's it's
Speaker 1: like a flower. It's like an unfolds bit by bit
Speaker 1: and you're like, oh wow, okay, and it's a marvel.
Speaker 1: But also then what you actually also need to put
Speaker 1: your attention on is like is finding meaning in this
Speaker 1: second part of our lives and what that is. That's
Speaker 1: been the big thing for Sarah and I. This year
Speaker 1: is like working out all right suddenly, like they give
Speaker 1: you the gift of time, they give it back to
Speaker 1: you and then you have to go, oh, yeah, what
Speaker 1: are we going to do?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: What next? And that's the thing we're finding, you know,
Speaker 3: as she's going out to parties and sort of socializing more.
Speaker 3: It is just more of Chris and I, which is beautiful,
Speaker 3: and rediscovering each other and knowing that that friendship from
Speaker 3: you know, because we've been together over thirty years now
Speaker 3: that it's still there, which is really beautiful, and it's like, well,
Speaker 3: what would we like to do tonight? Do you know
Speaker 3: what I mean? Like, it's just it feels, yeah, why not.
Speaker 1: It's a big year for you, Chris and Andrea.
Speaker 3: At the language there's three in this relationship. But yeah,
Speaker 3: so that's where no, that's where we're at. Is just
Speaker 3: trying to, you know, keep up. It feels like a marathon.
Speaker 3: It's like, okay, we're here now, this is a really
Speaker 3: nice pay but do.
Speaker 1: Not think my time since I've known you in seventy years,
Speaker 1: I think this year that you've also grown Patsy as well. Yeah,
Speaker 1: i'd like to think so already has as well. You're
Speaker 1: constantly teaching your kids a lesson, and I don't mean
Speaker 1: the ones that you say bore them with. I mean
Speaker 1: how you actually handle and live your life. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: the biggest. The kids are always watching us. You're always
Speaker 1: teaching you kids a lesson, and most of the lessons
Speaker 1: don't involve words. They watch how you handle your life,
Speaker 1: your joy, your pain, your anger. They're always watching you.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. It's like a mirror, isn't it when
Speaker 3: you have kids, it's like a mirror of I.
Speaker 1: Think it's more like a hall of mirrors.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, at a sideshow more to the point.
Speaker 3: But yeah, it's actually quite beautiful. And to see her
Speaker 3: forming her own opinions, and you know, we can have
Speaker 3: discussions about world affairs and or simple as just sitting
Speaker 3: and watching our shows together. That that's just the best.
Speaker 1: You're an awesome mummy. You and Christ the great parents,
Speaker 1: as are you.
Speaker 3: Thanks man?
Speaker 1: All right, So tell us what is this story? What's
Speaker 1: this year for you? Twenty twenty five? What has happened?
Speaker 1: Tell us the story of your year in six words,
Speaker 1: Oh four seventy five three one oh four three We
Speaker 1: go through yours next. The Christian O'Connell Show podcast, What's
Speaker 1: What's this year? What is your year in six words?
Speaker 1: Tell me all about it? Four seven five three one
Speaker 1: o four three Fiona Big year for Fiona, moved to Paradise, Ballana,
Speaker 1: love it beautiful Christian my year, hard work, Employee of
Speaker 1: the Year. I love this one National Champion shot put
Speaker 1: ruptured acl Oh sorry to hear that. That is a
Speaker 1: rough way to end the year. Karen her year and
Speaker 1: six words life changes are doable with friends. That's lovely
Speaker 1: Karen Janelle Morning Janell six word year, heavy year, friendships formed,
Speaker 1: book born. That is a lot. Good on there. Congratulations
Speaker 1: on the book birthing as well. Someone's saund now lot
Speaker 1: going on the ship. Chaos, Gremlins, Gremlins, You got gremlins,
Speaker 1: Christmas chaos Gremlins. Growth, Family understanding, evolving Alex, what's it
Speaker 1: for you? Big year for you and your family? You
Speaker 1: now live in Melbourne?
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, I've been shaking just getting ready to
Speaker 2: talk about this because it's been such a massive, massive
Speaker 2: year for myself and my family.
Speaker 1: Wild is a.
Speaker 2: Good word for it, Christian. You know, I've sort of
Speaker 2: reflected on it, and it's funny. Bunnie and I look
Speaker 2: at each other often and say, can you believe we're
Speaker 2: living in Melbourne now? We just have those moments. And
Speaker 2: it's just been an incredible year because my six word
Speaker 2: year is ending much better than it started. It started
Speaker 2: pretty badly with my departure from the Today Show and
Speaker 2: I was in a real funk.
Speaker 1: I didn't know what I was doing was going so
Speaker 1: much as well, you're a guy who's had a really
Speaker 1: successful career as a journalist, right, you've got to do
Speaker 1: some of the stuff. You must have so much shame
Speaker 1: around that as well. An unfair and unfair way to
Speaker 1: be let go of a job as well, Oh definitely.
Speaker 1: And m so small, so sudden.
Speaker 2: As well, and so unexpected, And yeah, it just left
Speaker 2: me and my family in serious limbo and we're like,
Speaker 2: what do we do now?
Speaker 1: Where do we go?
Speaker 2: And so so started a few months of looking in
Speaker 2: woods and reflecting on what comes next and where I
Speaker 2: go with my career.
Speaker 1: There must have been a scary time. You were dad
Speaker 1: with three young kids as well, terrified it was. We
Speaker 1: thought this is it. This is the end of my
Speaker 1: career that you've built up. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2: I was getting offers from mates to go and work
Speaker 2: on their nurseries, which was nice. You know, I had
Speaker 2: to do something, and luckily I had some other things
Speaker 2: going on with particular sporting clubs like the Penwrith Panthers,
Speaker 2: who are fantastic to me.
Speaker 1: And then and you became their actual mascot for a
Speaker 1: couple of most time, we don't like to talk about
Speaker 1: those moments you're in the outfit.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the things I had to do, Christian the cart.
Speaker 1: Wills, Hey, dads are going to earn a coin, exactly right.
Speaker 2: But then again, your good self came along.
Speaker 1: I'll never forget that phone call.
Speaker 2: That our long phone call out of the blow really
Speaker 2: and we got on like a house on fire. And
Speaker 2: here I am in Melbourne. Soe, thank you to you
Speaker 2: and this wonderful team. What a team this is.
Speaker 1: We got it. We're blessed. We have a lovely team
Speaker 1: here as well. I hope it comes across all that
Speaker 1: if you ever enjoy the show, that is one hundred
Speaker 1: percent because of the team environment we have here. It
Speaker 1: is it all comes out of that.
Speaker 2: It's all embracing, and there's an enormous amount of support,
Speaker 2: which I haven't always had in my past jobs, let
Speaker 2: me tell you that much. So it's just a really
Speaker 2: lovely place to be and so exciting for next year.
Speaker 2: I'm so blessed, so thankful, and just cannot wait for
Speaker 2: what comes next.
Speaker 1: All right, Keithi's coming. They're lovely, by the way, And
Speaker 1: it might take you a bit of time to think
Speaker 1: about it as well, because when you look back over
Speaker 1: you so there's so much you actually forgets what's happen,
Speaker 1: because actually we don't. We're rarely in the present. We're
Speaker 1: always looking ahead or trying to strategize and manage today,
Speaker 1: next week, Christmas, in a couple of weeks, time, New Year,
Speaker 1: the job, home, work, You're constantly you're never hear You're
Speaker 1: always somewhere else. And actually, when you take a moment
Speaker 1: to reflect, which we never do, we're always constantly somewhere else.
Speaker 1: And even before the show, we're all talking about next year,
Speaker 1: because we are. I've spent seven years of my life
Speaker 1: all building for next year. I can't wait. But I've
Speaker 1: had to remind myself that actually, right here and now
Speaker 1: that is magical, was wondering it's not going to get
Speaker 1: better because I've got a nasal radio show. It's it's
Speaker 1: allowing yourself to receive just all the blessings we've had
Speaker 1: everything this year. Sometimes we're always like, oh, when I
Speaker 1: get to that place, life will be better. And it's
Speaker 1: the wrong way to live your life. It's all about now.
Speaker 1: And you look back at your year and like what
Speaker 1: you've been through that have been so much laughter in
Speaker 1: your lives this year, sob tears, so much unbearableness of
Speaker 1: it all, so much joy, so much excitement, all of
Speaker 1: that wonder as well. So take your time think about
Speaker 1: your year and it might be something you want to
Speaker 1: sit down tonight with a pen and paper and actually
Speaker 1: write out a few goes of it. That's what I
Speaker 1: did yesterday. Took about half an hour to really fine
Speaker 1: tune to what this year has been for me, the
Speaker 1: leaving year and the growing year, and then send it
Speaker 1: to me tonight. If you want, Christian at Christian O'Connell
Speaker 1: dot com dot A you a Christian O'Connell Show podcast