Voices In Recovery Podcast

This week, Darcy and I sit together and talk about turning 50 and the continued, escalating genocide against Palestinians and so many others in our world, as I write this. We share about grief, loss, change, aging, police violence, racism and our provincial government, and the general feeling that everyone is on simmer and soon there'll be some kind of catastrophic event. We as usual, just run wild on some topics and in that process we move through different stages of our lives... Thank you all for your support 

This week's guest, Mike, comes to us from a SMART Recovery perspective and i found it refreshing. Chatting with him about recovery, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, etc gave my brain an incredible boost of really nice chemicals as I learned quite a lot - just enough to know that I really know nothing. I hope it does the same for all of you. Mike explains some of the finer points of SMART Recovery and how he's found it working daily in his life. Thank you sir! I'll get reading!

This week our friend, Wesam from Justice for Palestinians Calgary stops by with a UofC student to share about continued police brutality, violence, and ongoing bullying. We talk about May 9th, 2024 when the Calgary police escalated and attacked unarmed students and protestors at the University of Calgary. We talked about how Edmonton police doubled down on the violence and brutality May 11th at the University of Alberta. Wesam and friend, share the details as to what happened then and what has been happening behind the scenes as a result of police targeting their protests, gatherings and fund raisers. The violence was again furthered by the Calgary police on Sunday, September 15th, 2024 at Tomkins Park when they attempted to interrupt a peaceful protest. Police deployed 4 horses, twenty bike officers, and a solid 20-40 mixed law enforcement officers as back up. There were barely fifty protestors on scene when the police escalated to violence as a show of force to strike fear in anyone contemplating future action against the state. Even though our conversation was very open and we share a lot of vulnerability. We fully understand that the police watch, listen and follow us on line and in person at times so we are incredibly vulnerable to them. We share our anger, fear, and confusion at times. If you don't think "your police" would do certain things to keep people silent, criminalize poverty/unhoused, and weild the constant threat of your loss of liberty/finances all the while they convince you they're acting in your best interest...think again. We recognize that many activists through the years in Calgary have faced and been subjected to this type and worse violence, suppression, and surveillance.

This week, our friend, Peter, returns and shares about the last few very tumultuous years in recovery - since covid. He shared about how deeply his connections have shifted and adjusted through medical distress, emotional upheaval, and incredible learning. I appreciate being able to sit down and talk about the sometimes debilitating road to happy destiny. Talking about recovery is one thing, living it is another. Thank you Peter

This week, Aline stops by and shares their incredible journey through early trauma, continued trauma, into addiction, and today where she's living a life in recovery. Her openness and vulnerability are a sign of her courage moving forward through recovery. She tries to utilize her journey to inspire and encourage others. Thank you Aline, we appreciate you.

This week, I sit down with my close friends Michelle and Darcy Robinson. We talk about twenty years of sobriety, anti racism work, racism, literature, and the huge concept of cancelling people. I have said this before and I am sure that I will say it again at some point; it always comes back to how many people did not cancel me when I was living like a man with no relations and the result has been my continued survival and continued education. The support by other humans is not only essential, but often includes humans who may not see the world as I do. They may even see the world dramatically different, yet still somehow are able to care for others along their path. I encourage everyone to find their way through the mire. Allow anger to be real and treat it as the gift it really is. Through the anger, there is more light to be found. This journey is never ending. Thank you my friends for taking the time with me 

This week, Pulkit and Dhaniket stop by and literally blow our collective minds. The world feels so ugly these days - it made sense to bring them on the podcast because these fellows are trying to inject hope wherever they can. I am going to let them speak for themselves, as throughout the episode I find myself in awe of what they're doing and are trying to do. We talked about some of the harsh things going on and we all realized that in so many countries, so many people are in danger every minute of every day. Thank you both for coming down to jump on the podcast and really, thank you for what you're doing out there for physical and mental health

This week, we share part two of Karrie-Lynn's story. This week we dive deeper into the process of their transition. I open up about my own queerness and we have a wonderful conversation. You are a gift to our world - thank you for coming back on.

This week's guest, Daphne stops by and shares all about Black Pride YYC and their own personal journey. They came to Canada from Nigeria where it is still illegal to be Queer. Once here, they set out intent on being their truest self. I won't give spoilers; however, we talk about the beginnings and the why's Black Pride YYC was necessary and formed they have grown incredibly in a year and throw incredible events. We talk a lot about racism in Canada and around the world. Thank you for coming on, Daphne, we appreciate all that you do out there!

This week's guests, Comrade Yulia Borscht and Dani Phantom stopped by to share their stories and we talk everything under the beautifully queer sun! I'm not going to lie, most people will just fall in love with them so beware. I was able to attend their show, Housing Crisis, before sitting down with them and chatting away so I already fell in love with the humans they are. Thank you both!!!