Stories by Ordinary People

Half a year has gone by since doing a personal podcast and, wow, has the world changed!! All things COVID-19 has taken over the media and affected the majority of the world's population to a greater or lesser degree. But this podcast is not about COVID. It is just me chatting about life and current projects. Included is a commitment to you (and myself) to make regular podcasts to share thoughts and ideas as well as stories about my life. A paraphrase of the quote that got my mojo going again is:"Show your power, change the world. And to begin with, do as you want because the first, most important thing is to do what you want ...." What got added in my own head was "without attachment"; just do it without expectation of an outcome.Here are the links mentioned in the podcast:Love's Dynamic, a pocketbook of LoveSpeak ACCESS, The Assistive SoftwareGetting to know me, a page on Business Management and DesignPhotos of our gardens.

Being HumanEvery organism from the smallest to the largest has a combination of unique qualities that define it as a species. A few important aspects of being human are the ability to think rationally, the range of our emotions and our ego.In search of…A key to finding the answer to anything is to know enough to even ask the question. You cannot ask “What is a computer?” if you have never heard that such a thing exists.PersonalityOur individual personality is the lead character in the play called life. Everything we do, say, think is coloured by the combination of personality and experience.Colours of ExperienceExperience starts literally at birth, perhaps even before, and gets piled on each day lived with a multitude of flavours and texture. Some are subtle and hardly noticed; some are bitter; some sweet.Baggage of Bad ExperienceMost of us carry baggage of some sort or another into adulthood. But, at some point, maturity insists that we no longer “blame” events and people in our childhood.

Acceptance ~ Compassion ~ Gentleness ~ Joy ~ Honesty ~ HumilityNobility ~ Respectfulness ~ Thoughtfulness ~ TrustworthinessJust ten words and yet, with their inherent characteristics they describe love in its perfection. What makes it perfect is that every quality noted is applied equally to every human being and all living things in every situation. Were a human being to demonstrate all these qualities all the time then they would rightfully be deemed perfect. But this is not about being perfect. It is instead a guide for making different choices that lead to greater harmony and contentment.Read the free ebook at http://www.lovesdynamic.com.

Everything emits energy. But what does that look like in the human experience? The emotion of Love is a subject discussed widely. But what about the energy of Love? What is that? These are the topics discussed in this episode.Feel free to comment on Facebook or Twitter.

What we need is Love! What we need is connection! During this difficult time the practice of Love and understanding how we are all connected has become more important than ever. Love's Dynamic is a guide to understanding both.The first episode provides a forward to the Forward by the author (that would be me), the real Forward, and Understanding the Dynamics.The guide can be read at Love's Dynamic.com or it can be downloaded in a PDF format.

A stroke of luck on Maui turns to enjoyment for an older Thai couple in Chiangmai Mai, Thailand. They provided the laughter. The ants provided the pain.

The Banaue Rice Terraces are a magical place in the mountains of Luzon, Philippines. These man-made terraces are between 2,000 and 6,000 years old and have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Should you be in the Philippines, this is a must-see.

When taking public transit in developing countries one never knows what to expect. Although I have taken many dangerous bus rides, this one was just inconvenient.

Volunteering in the Philippines, Ian MacDonald had many opportunities to witness first-hand the heart-wrenching poverty. He says, "We as adults should be ashamed of ourselves for not prioritizing this urgent global problem."However, the star of this podcast, a little girl who will soon be 10, shines bright as a selfless individual who would make anyone proud. Blog

Have you ever wondered how our Christmas traditions got started? Did you know that Christmas is celebrated in 163 countries out of a total of 193 countries in the world?This podcast answers those questions along with a bit of trivia. In addition there are two Christmas tales; one from when I was very young and another about being alone at Christmas for the first time in my life.

No matter where we are in the world our day can change quickly. In this case, that change took 90 minutes when on a visit to Papua New Guinea I went from a hero to a zero volunteering to referee a soccer game.

Travel journals are an integral part of storing memories that we may forget over time. I always suggest that friends log their experiences while travelling so they can reminisce fondly about what he or she has witnessed.This podcast is a recollection of three sightings that didn't get captured on camera.

Hitchhiking through the lonely, desolate stretches in Australia's Northern Territory Ian McDonald had the misfortune to look like a German who had killed a family and stole their camper. The police were swarming the area and every time one would spot him on the road with his thumb out, they would stop to question him. It only took Ian to answer the first question for them to know that he was 'that Canadian'.And the bad guy in the movie? He was killed in a shoot-out with a police helicopter.As for the greasy pants, you can get some really odd rides hitchhiking.Story Photos

Ian McDonald, an avid traveller, talks about the differences between being a traveller versus a tourist with a few tips to help other travellers.

Story PhotosPicture sitting at a table in the early years of your life. Who are the people sitting there and how have they influenced your life?At our table in St. David’s, Ontario, there were six people sitting there with me. Each one would play a part in the years to come. However, it was mom and dad who had the biggest influence and this podcast is about them.The year is 1939. Ralph Gordon Essex is 21 years old and a private in the Canadian army. Mary Edith Pettit is 30 and a socialite. It seems unlikely for their paths to cross but they did. The handsome soldier swept the lovely Mary off her feet and into bed. The result was an unwanted pregnancy and a marriage compelled by the deathbed request of Mary’s beloved aunt who had adopted her at 10.

Living in 33 cities in 50 years, having a hundred or so jobs, being fostered out, having an alcoholic father, being sexually molested at 12, running away at 15, being a single mom at 17, living through an earthquake, a fire, and a business bankruptcy are just some of the lemons life has thrown my way. Thankfully, they have been offset by the roses of knowing great love, having a loving mother and being married to the love of my life for the past 18 years.All these stories and more will be told in the series of "Me, Myself, and I" so stay tuned.Map of the Cities Lived

A visit to Sanya, Hainan, the most southern city in China, turned into a 9-hour ordeal with the Chinese Military. It started out innocently enough - getting photos from a clifftop while waiting to have lunch with my friend, Star. Getting to the top included a few challenges that included 100's of large red bull ants that fell from a tree and started biting me all over my body. To get them off required disrobing on the side of the cliff and slapping them off. It was not safe to return down the 100-foot cliff at that point so I continued climbing to the top only to discover a Military Base. A few of the 50 or so soldiers approached with shocked looks on their faces. However, they were very pleasant and offered me a glass of water. It was when the senior officers arrived that the fun began.

We all have voices in our head that chatter away about every aspect of our life from the mundane to our core beliefs. This podcast series is sharing those thoughts as well as bits and pieces of a life that has unfolded to be both extraordinary and ordinary with miracles, drama, laughter and tears that have been strewn across the path.

Itchy foot syndrome sent me off on what was supposed to be a great adventure traveling across Canada in a custom-fitted K-car with wood carvings on hand to pay the way. The plan was to visit small-town Canada from coast to coast, talking to people and taking photos with the end goal of publishing a table-top photo journal. The best-laid plans of mice, or in this case, a 49-year-old woman, went sideways without ever leaving British Columbia.

All of us have known fear. It comes in many shapes and forms. Giving a speech, a new job, a first date, a first child, descending a steep cliff engenders fear in most people. But, sheer terror? That’s different. Have you ever been flat out terrified? If so, you know that it’s right at the top of experiences never to be forgotten. It gets written into your bones.

In 2003 on the ferry coming into Horseshoe Bay from Vancouver Island I turned to James and said, “You know, I’ve lived on the lower mainland for 25 years but have never been to the Sunshine Coast.” His reply was “Let’s go!”, so we got off one ferry and onto another with no hint that it would change the course of our lives along with many others.

Let's talk about our political systems and how they could be changed for the better. Along the way, let’s talk about why you vote for a particular party or don’t vote at all.

Chris talks about ordinary people who are heroes - a teenager who studied four hours a day to get a ‘C’ and a man collecting bottles to put food on the table for his mom.

Born with a cleft palate, a chainsaw carver for 22 years, and, more recently, a self-taught software developer, Christopher Coughlin-Mutch has many stories to share.In this episode, Chris talks about the past, present and future.His chainsaw carvings can be seen at Cedar Images.

The stories shared in these podcasts are about life and living - the ups and downs and everything in between. Being social creatures by nature when someone tells a story we automatically try to relate to what’s being said with a story of our own or our own life circumstances.My name is Norah LeClare. In this first podcast I explain what we hope to accomplish with this social initiative.

Chris and his Mom, Norah, talk about her 30+ years of business experience with Norah sharing the best and worst places she has worked and what made them good or bad.