GREGORY MARK HAYNES
Author | Storyteller | Speaker
Themes I Write About
Theme Hubs
Here my focus in on the longer forms of writing that can be more narrative and personal. This is where stories are first revealed. Related book chapters, memoirs, blog articles, photographs and other images may appear here for each theme. My stories often begin with an experience, but they tend to lead somewhere else — into history, music, the environment, adventure, curiosity and the people I have encountered along the way.
Places and Journeys
Featured material
The emphasis for this hub is on personal experiences rather than conventional travel writing. My stories span Australia, South Africa, Britain and journeys further afield, with an emphasis on the people, encounters and unexpected events that make particular places memorable.
Memories Are Made of This
A collection of 51 true stories drawn from a life spanning Australia, South Africa and Britain, as well as journeys further afield. From adventures and encounters with wildlife to unexpected experiences and memorable journeys, these stories capture the people, places and events that have helped shape my life.
Articles & Stories
Stories about the places, connections and experiences that shape a life.
From growing up in Australia and South Africa to settling in Britain, my life has taken me to some interesting places. Along the way, I've encountered unusual people, experienced unexpected adventures and collected more than a few stories. Here are some of the articles that bring those experiences to life.
Blog articles:
Why I Left Australia — Directly relevant to my decision to leave Australia.
Growing Up in South Africa — My formative experiences of living in South Africa.
How Living on Three Continents Shaped My Life and Perspective — My experiences of living in Australia, South Africa and Britain.
Lessons From Living in Australia, South Africa, and the UK — Personal lessons arising from living in three countries.
Quick Insights From Life on Three Continents — A concise account of my international experiences.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
8. FARM VISIT, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 15. CRAYFISHING, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 18. THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL, 20. FLIGHT, 25. BEACHES, 28. WINE ROUTE, 29. TABLE MOUNTAIN, 32. SAILING, 33. AROUND AFRICA EXPEDITION, 34. THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALLS, 36. LESOTHO (Leh-SUE-two), 40. PARIS, 42. SCOTLAND AND THE PIE, 49. STONEHENGE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
My memoir brings together 51 true stories from a life lived across three continents. Journeys, adventures, encounters with wildlife and the unexpected all feature in its pages. It is the principal publication associated with this theme.
Speaking
Places and journeys have played a significant part in shaping my outlook on life. Drawing on my experiences in Australia, South Africa and Britain, I explore how travel, unfamiliar surroundings and unexpected encounters can influence our perspectives and open up new possibilities.
Relevant speaking topics:
A Life Across Three Continents Personal experiences of living in Australia, South Africa and Britain, and the opportunities and challenges of adapting to different environments.
The Unexpected Journey How unplanned experiences, unexpected encounters and unfamiliar places can lead to some of life's most memorable stories.
Curiosity and Discovery How a willingness to explore, ask questions and embrace new experiences can shape our lives.
Related themes
Nature & The Outdoors Encounters with the natural world and wildlife, including the unusual experiences that make some journeys particularly memorable.
Adventure & Discovery The experiences that come from exploring unfamiliar places, taking opportunities and occasionally finding yourself somewhere you never expected to be.
Life & Personal Experiences The events, decisions and encounters that shape our lives, influence our outlook and sometimes change our direction.
Memories & Reflections Looking back at the people, places and experiences that remain with us long after the journey has ended.
Growing up in Australia, building a life in South Africa and making Britain home.
Family and Relationships
Featured material
Family gives us our beginnings. Relationships help shape the journey. Memories preserve the people and moments that mattered.
Memories Are Made of This
Family, friendship and the people who become part of our stories.
Memories Are Made of This is a collection of 51 true stories drawn from Greg’s life across Australia, South Africa and Britain. Although many of the stories are about travel, adventure and unexpected experiences, running through them is something more familiar: the people who share those moments with us, influence our choices and become part of the memories we carry forward.
From childhood experiences and growing up in different countries to friendships, encounters and the relationships formed along the way, these stories show how the people around us can become just as important as the places we visit.
Articles & Stories
Stories about the people, connections and experiences that shape a life.
Some relationships are central to our lives. Others appear briefly but leave a lasting impression. These stories explore the people, connections and shared experiences that become part of our memories.
This section could automatically filter my blog to articles dealing with:
Family and childhood memories
Growing up and the influence of parents and family
Friendships and people encountered through life
Relationships formed through travel and different cultures
Shared experiences and memorable occasions
People who have influenced Greg's life
Nostalgia, memory and looking back
Life transitions and changing relationships
Blog articles: none at present.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
6. DRAMA, 8. FARM VISIT, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 12. THE EZEMVELO OSTRICH, 14. GALLERY SEATS, 15. CRAYFISHING, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 19. HOT WATER!, 25. BEACHES, 26. RUGBY, 30. TUG OF WAR, 38. SUN CITY, 49. STONEHENGE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
Gregory Mark Haynes's memoir draws on experiences across three continents and three cultures. The stories explore childhood, growing up, friendship, family, travel, adventure and the many people encountered along the way. Together they form a personal record of the experiences and relationships that helped shape Greg's life.
Related chapters and stories
Explore individual stories from the book that touch on childhood, family, friendship, relationships and the people who have shared the journey.
Speaking
People, relationships and the stories we carry with us. Relevant speaking topics could include:
The Stories That Shape Us How experiences and relationships influence the people we become.
A Life Across Three Continents Growing up between Australia, South Africa and Britain, and how different environments and cultures shape identity.
Memories Are Made of This The stories, people and unexpected moments that give our lives meaning and character.
The People We Meet Along the Way How friendships, encounters and seemingly ordinary interactions can become lasting memories.
Growing Up and Looking Back Childhood memories, life experiences and the changing perspective that comes with age.
Related themes
I would link this hub to themes that naturally overlap with family and relationships:
Childhood & Growing Up
Early experiences, family life and the memories that stay with us.
Places & Journeys
The people and relationships encountered while moving between countries and cultures.
Life & Experiences
The events, choices and unexpected moments that shape an individual life.
Identity & Belonging
Growing up across different countries and developing a sense of where we belong.
Memories & Nostalgia
Looking back at people, places and experiences through the perspective of time.
Connection & Community
The friendships, encounters and human connections that make experiences memorable.
The people who shaped me — family, friends, and the bonds that last a lifetime.
Life Lessons
Featured material
The things Greg has learned through actually living. The lessons emerge from the experiences, mistakes, surprises, people and decisions contained in the stories. The best lessons are often the ones we never set out to learn. These are lessons discovered through life, rather than instructions for how to live it.
Memories Are Made of This
51 true stories. A lifetime of experiences. Quite a few lessons along the way.
From childhood in Australia to life in South Africa and Britain, Memories Are Made of This brings together stories of adventure, travel, unexpected encounters, challenges and ordinary moments that became memorable.
The stories are entertaining in their own right, but many also reveal something about life: the value of curiosity, the importance of taking opportunities, the consequences of decisions, the ability to adapt when circumstances change, and the fact that things do not always turn out quite as expected.
Articles & Stories
Stories from which something can be learned, usually after the event.
Life rarely announces its lessons in advance. More often, we understand them afterwards. These stories look at the experiences, mistakes, surprises and unexpected turns that have taught Greg something along the way. The story comes first. The lesson comes out of it.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Lessons learned from childhood and growing up
Unexpected events and how they changed circumstances
Taking opportunities and trying something different
Curiosity and discovering where an experience leads
Resilience when things do not go according to plan
Learning from mistakes and misjudgements
Adapting to change and starting again
Experiences of living in different countries and cultures
The people and encounters that leave a lasting impression
Looking back on earlier experiences with the benefit of hindsight
Blog articles:
The Stories Behind the Stories — Personal reflections on the experiences behind your writing.
Building Unshakable Personal Resilience: A Step-by-Step Guide — Dealing with difficulties and developing resilience.
Quick Tips for Building Personal Resilience — Practical insights into coping with challenges.
5 Practical Ways to Build Personal Resilience — Practical approaches to overcoming adversity.
Foundations of Effective Leadership — Lessons about leadership and responsibility.
Personal Transformation: What It Really Means and How It Changes Everything — How experiences and decisions can change our lives.
Why Personal Transformation Matters More Than Ever — The relevance of personal change and adaptation.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
1. NO TRESPASSING, 5. GOING TO WORK, 7. SKYDIVING AND MOSQUITOES, 8. FARM VISIT, 9. THE DENTIST, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 16. SMALL BOXES, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 20. FLIGHT, 21. CHESS, 22. CHICKENS, 24. HORNET, 26. RUGBY, 30. TUG OF WAR, 35. THE BIG FLOP
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
The book provides the main body of material for this theme. Across stories from Australia, South Africa and Britain, Greg reflects on experiences ranging from childhood and travel to adventure, unusual encounters and unexpected events.
Rather than presenting a list of rules for living, the book allows the lessons to emerge naturally from the stories — about curiosity, courage, resilience, adaptability, relationships, opportunity and seeing the unexpected side of life.
This could eventually lead to a filtered collection of the individual book stories that have a particularly clear life-lesson element.
Relevant Speaking Topics
The Lessons Life Teaches Us
A look at the experiences, unexpected events and decisions that gradually shape a person's outlook.
From Three Continents to One Life
What living in Australia, South Africa and Britain taught Greg about adapting to change, different cultures and unfamiliar situations.
Curiosity: The Beginning of the Adventure
How asking questions, exploring and being willing to try something different can lead to experiences that could never have been planned.
Resilience and Reinvention
What happens when circumstances change and you have to adapt, start again or find another way forward.
The Unexpected Journey
A personal exploration of the twists, surprises and unplanned events that can take a life in directions you never anticipated.
Related themes
Curiosity & Discovery
The habit of asking questions, exploring and finding out what lies beyond the obvious.
Resilience & Reinvention
Learning to cope with change, setbacks and the need to start a new chapter.
Places & Journeys
How travelling and living in different countries can change perspective and teach lessons that cannot be learned from a textbook.
Life & Experiences
The broader collection of events, adventures and encounters from which the lessons emerge.
Memories & Nostalgia
Looking back at earlier experiences and recognising things that perhaps were not apparent at the time.
Family & Relationships
The lessons learned through parents, friends, colleagues and the people encountered throughout life.
Identity & Belonging
How growing up and living across three countries contributes to an evolving understanding of who we are.
Mistakes, challenges and the unexpected turns that taught me what really matters.
Music and Sounds of Life
The songs, concerts and sounds that defined moments and memories.
Featured material
Every life has a soundtrack. Some of it we remember. Some of it we never forget. Explore music as memory, expression, atmosphere and part of everyday life — from listening and performing to recording, technology and the sounds associated with particular places and periods.
Memories Are Made of This
The soundtrack of a life is made from more than songs.
Music and sound have accompanied many of Greg's experiences, from childhood and growing up in different countries to later involvement in music production and recording. In Memories Are Made of This, particular places, periods and experiences are inseparable from the sounds associated with them.
The theme also connects with Greg's wider interest in music, including playing, listening, recording and the technology behind music production.
Articles & Stories
Stories about music, memories, sound and the experiences that stay with us.
Some memories have pictures attached to them. Others have a soundtrack. A song, a voice, a guitar riff or even an otherwise ordinary sound can take you back to a particular place and time almost instantly.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Music from childhood and earlier periods of life
Songs associated with particular memories
The role of music in different stages of life
Live music, musicians and performances
Music production and recording
The technology behind making and listening to music
Sounds associated with particular places and journeys
Unexpected encounters involving music
Music as a form of personal expression
The changing way we experience music as technology evolves
Blog articles:
What Music Really Is and Why It Shapes Everything We Do — The role of music in our lives and experiences.
How to Start Learning a Musical Instrument as an Adult Without Feeling Overwhelmed — Learning and participating in music as an adult.
Quick Update: Why More People Are Turning to Music for Mental Health Support — Music's relationship with emotional well-being.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
2. THE BELLOWS-POWERED ORGAN, 6. DRAMA, 11. MUSIC ON THE ROOF, 14. GALLERY SEATS
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
The book's stories provide material for exploring the relationship between music, memory and experience. Music is part of the wider soundtrack of a life lived across Australia, South Africa and Britain, alongside the people, places and events that make those memories distinctive.
Music & the Stories Behind the Stories
Discover the musical connections, sounds and memories that sit behind some of the experiences described in Greg's writing.
Speaking
Music is actually a useful speaking theme for you because it connects your personal experience, storytelling and technical background.
Music as Memory
How songs and sounds become attached to people, places and moments — and how a few notes can sometimes bring an entire period of life back into focus.
The Soundtrack of a Life
A personal journey through the music, sounds and experiences that have accompanied Greg's life across three continents.
Music, Technology & Change
How the way we create, record, store and listen to music has changed, and what those changes mean for musicians and listeners.
Creativity & Expression
Using music and other forms of creative expression to communicate ideas, experiences and identity.
From Music to Memories
How music can provide a doorway into storytelling, nostalgia and shared human experience.
The Soundtrack of a Life
It has a natural connection with my memoir and gives me plenty of room to tell stories rather than delivering a technical lecture.
Related themes
Memories & Nostalgia
Music can preserve memories and transport us back to particular people, places and periods of life.
Life & Experiences
Music forms part of the wider collection of experiences that make up a life.
Places & Journeys
Different countries, cultures and journeys bring different musical influences and soundscapes.
Creativity & Expression
Music provides another way of expressing ideas, emotions and personal experience.
Technology & Change
From recording equipment to digital music, technology has transformed how music is created and experienced.
Childhood & Growing Up
The music we encounter when we are young can remain remarkably persistent in our memories.
Stories & Storytelling
Music and storytelling overlap in their ability to preserve experiences and communicate something about the people who lived them.
Memories and Moments
The little moments that leave a lasting impression and become part of our story.
Featured material
A life is built from individual moments, and seemingly small experiences can become the stories we remember for years. The moments pass. The memories remain. Some disappear. Others stay with us for a lifetime. The stories come later.
Memories Are Made of This
51 stories. A lifetime of memories. Moments that stayed.
Memories Are Made of This brings together 51 true stories from Greg's life across Australia, South Africa and Britain. They range from childhood experiences and travel to adventure, unusual encounters and unexpected events.
Some moments were significant at the time. Others probably seemed quite ordinary. Looking back, however, they became part of the collection of experiences that make up a life.
Articles & Stories
Some moments pass almost unnoticed. Others stay with us for decades. These stories explore the people, places, experiences and unexpected incidents that have become part of Greg's personal collection of memories.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories involving:
Childhood memories
People and experiences that have stayed in the memory
Significant moments and turning points
Unexpected or amusing incidents
Travel memories and memorable journeys
First experiences and new discoveries
Places that remain particularly vivid
Music and sounds associated with particular memories
Looking back at earlier periods of life
The stories behind the stories in Greg's memoir
Small moments that became surprisingly memorable
Nostalgia and the changing perspective that comes with time
Blog articles:
The Stories Behind the Stories — The experiences and recollections that inspire your writing.
How Living on Three Continents Shaped My Life and Perspective — Memorable experiences across three continents.
Growing Up in South Africa — Memories of your formative years.
Why I Left Australia — A significant moment of change in your life.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
6. DRAMA, 7. SKYDIVING AND MOSQUITOES, 8. FARM VISIT, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 11. MUSIC ON THE ROOF, 12. THE EZEMVELO OSTRICH, 14. GALLERY SEATS, 15. CRAYFISHING, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 19. HOT WATER!, 20. FLIGHT, 21. CHESS, 25. BEACHES, 29. TABLE MOUNTAIN, 40. PARIS, 49. STONEHENGE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
This is the natural flagship publication for the theme. The book brings together stories accumulated over a lifetime and across three countries, demonstrating how individual moments can survive long after the event itself has passed.
The stories encompass childhood, travel, adventure, people, places, music, unexpected encounters and experiences that took Greg somewhere he had not expected to go.
Stories Behind the Stories
Explore the memories and experiences that inspired individual stories in Memories Are Made of This, and discover how an event from the past can become a story many years later.
Speaking
Memories Are Made of This
A personal journey through the experiences, people and unexpected moments that have shaped Greg's life and writing.
The Moments That Shape a Life
How seemingly small experiences can become significant memories — and sometimes much later become stories worth telling. This works for community groups, literary events and general audiences without requiring the audience to have read my book beforehand.
The Stories We Carry
An exploration of memory, experience and the stories we retain from different stages of our lives.
The Soundtrack of a Life
How music, sounds, places and experiences can unlock memories and transport us back to another time.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
What happens when we look at earlier experiences with the perspective of time, and how memories can influence the way we understand the present.
Related themes
Life Lessons
The things we learn from experiences, particularly when their significance only becomes clear later.
Family & Relationships
The people who share our memories often become as important as the events themselves.
Music & Sounds of Life
Songs, voices and sounds can act as surprisingly powerful triggers for memory.
Places & Journeys
Places can become permanently associated with particular experiences and periods of life.
Childhood & Growing Up
Early experiences often remain among our most vivid and persistent memories.
Life & Experiences
The broader collection of adventures, encounters, decisions and unexpected events from which memories are made.
Curiosity & Discovery
Many memorable moments begin with simply wondering what is around the next corner.
Identity & Belonging
Our memories help connect different stages of our lives and contribute to our sense of who we are.
Nature and The Outdoors
From beaches to mountains - the beauty of nature and the peace it brings.
Featured material
Some of life's best stories begin by simply stepping outside. This hub is about my lifelong relationship with the natural world: exploration, wildlife, landscapes, outdoor adventure and the sense of curiosity that comes from being outside. It also gives me a useful bridge between my memoir, my travel experiences and my environmental/sustainability background.
Memories Are Made of This
Adventures, encounters and memories from the natural world.
Nature and the outdoors feature strongly in Greg's life stories, from childhood experiences and outdoor adventures to encounters with wildlife and the landscapes encountered across Australia, South Africa and Britain.
Memories Are Made of This includes stories of travel, adventure and unexpected encounters with the natural world — including experiences involving wildlife and some rather less-than-conventional adventures.
The theme reflects a recurring element of Greg's writing: curiosity about the world outside, a willingness to explore it, and the memories that result from doing so.
Articles & Stories
From childhood adventures to encounters with wildlife and journeys through unfamiliar landscapes, the outdoors has provided some of Greg's most memorable experiences. These stories explore the places, creatures and unexpected moments encountered along the way. The places we explore often become the memories we keep.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories involving:
Wildlife encounters
Outdoor adventures
Hiking and walking
Landscapes and memorable places
Childhood experiences in the outdoors
Travel through natural environments
Exploring unfamiliar places
Australian, South African and British landscapes
The natural world and environmental awareness
Unexpected encounters with animals
Adventure and outdoor curiosity
Memories associated with particular places
Sustainability and our relationship with the environment
Blog articles: none at present.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
4. MAJOR TRACKER, 7. SKYDIVING AND MOSQUITOES, 8. FARM VISIT, 15. CRAYFISHING, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 18. THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL, 23. BABOON SPIDER, 24. HORNET, 25. BEACHES, 27. THE BIG FLAP, 29. TABLE MOUNTAIN, 34. THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALLS, 36. LESOTHO (Leh-SUE-two)
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
Greg's memoir contains numerous stories connected with nature, wildlife, travel and outdoor adventure. Experiences across Australia, South Africa and Britain provide a particularly varied backdrop, from familiar childhood environments to more unusual journeys and encounters.
The book includes some of Greg's more adventurous experiences, including encounters with wildlife and the natural world that have remained memorable long after the event.
Stories of Adventure & the Natural World
Explore individual stories from Memories Are Made of This that feature wildlife, landscapes, outdoor experiences and encounters with the unexpected.
Speaking
Adventure, Curiosity and Discovery Connects more naturally with the storytelling side of my website, while my professional sustainability experience can provide a second strand.
A Life of Curiosity and Adventure
How curiosity, exploration and a willingness to try something different can lead to experiences that become lifelong memories.
The Natural World Around Us
Personal experiences of landscapes, wildlife and the outdoors, alongside reflections on our relationship with the environment.
Adventure, Curiosity & Discovery
Why exploring unfamiliar places and being open to unexpected experiences can change the way we see the world.
From Adventure to Sustainability
A personal journey from experiencing the natural world to working professionally in climate change and sustainability.
Three Continents, Many Landscapes
Experiences of Australia, South Africa and Britain and the different environments, cultures and landscapes encountered along the way.
Related themes
Places & Journeys
Travel and exploration provide many of the settings for Greg's encounters with nature and the outdoors.
Curiosity & Discovery
The desire to explore, investigate and see what is beyond the next horizon.
Life & Experiences
Outdoor experiences form part of the wider collection of events that have shaped Greg's life.
Memories and Moments
Many outdoor experiences become particularly vivid memories because of the places, sights and unexpected encounters involved.
Adventure & the Unexpected
The natural world rarely follows a script, which makes it an ideal setting for unexpected experiences.
Sustainability & Our Future
A natural extension of Greg's professional experience in climate change, environmental issues and sustainability.
Childhood & Growing Up
Early experiences outdoors can establish a lifelong fascination with nature, exploration and adventure.
Music & Sounds of Life
The sounds of wildlife, weather and landscapes provide another way of remembering particular places and experiences.
Work and Reinvention
Careers, changes and starting over - the journey of finding purpose along the way.
Featured material
This hub is about more than simply employment or career development. It is about changing direction, acquiring new skills, adapting to circumstances and finding new ways to use your experience. That fits my own progression across civil engineering, geography, GIS, business leadership, technology, sustainability, music and writing particularly well. There is a thread running through the different chapters of my career: curiosity, learning, communication and adapting what you already know to new circumstances.
Memories Are Made of This
The unexpected turns that take us from one chapter of life to the next.
The stories in Memories Are Made of This span several countries, occupations and stages of Greg's life. They reflect a life in which circumstances changed, opportunities appeared, and new experiences led in directions that could not always have been predicted.
The book provides a personal backdrop to the broader idea of reinvention: we are not necessarily defined by what we started out doing. Life can introduce new interests, new skills, new environments and entirely new chapters.
Articles & Stories
Stories about work, change, new directions and the unexpected turns of a career.
Careers rarely follow a perfectly straight line. Greg's working life has moved through geography, technology, business, music, sustainability, project work and writing. These stories explore the changes, opportunities and unexpected turns that can take a working life in a new direction. Reinvention shouldn't sound as though someone has to throw away everything they have done before. In my case, different chapters have often built on skills and experiences from earlier ones. Sometimes reinvention isn't starting again. It's finding a new use for everything you've already learned. Sometimes the interesting part is finding out where it goes next.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Career changes and professional transitions
Starting something new later in life
Learning new skills and adapting to change
Moving between different industries and professions
Technology and changing ways of working
Leadership and responsibility
Entrepreneurship and self-employment
Experiences of working in different countries
Redundancy, uncertainty and finding another direction
Turning existing experience into something new
The relationship between work and personal identity
Retirement, later-life opportunities and continuing to contribute
Writing and creative work as a new chapter
Blog articles:
Kick-Starting Your Leadership Journey: 7 Practical Steps — Taking the initiative in developing leadership skills.
Foundations of Effective Leadership — The principles underpinning professional leadership.
How to Spot a Great Leader in Under One Minute — Recognising leadership qualities in the workplace.
Project Management Mastery – Why It Matters and How to Apply It — Applying project management to professional work.
Quick Insight – Project Management Explained — An introduction to project management.
Why Project Management Skills Matter — The value of project management skills in a career.
Personal Transformation: What It Really Means and How It Changes Everything — Personal change and the possibility of professional reinvention.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
5. GOING TO WORK, 9. THE DENTIST, 13. THE YELLOWWOOD TREE, 16. SMALL BOXES, 20. FLIGHT, 22. CHICKENS, 37. PIANO, 41. CARS, 43. G.I.S., 44. CIVIL ENGINEERING
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
Although the book is a memoir rather than a career-development book, its wider subject is the changing course of a life. The stories cover different periods, countries, experiences and challenges, providing a natural connection to the idea of adapting to whatever the next chapter brings.
A Life of Reinvention
From Australia and South Africa to Britain, and from geography and technology to sustainability, music and writing, Greg's life has involved a succession of different chapters. The experiences behind the memoir provide the personal context for his interest in change, learning and reinvention.
Speaking
This is potentially one of my strongest speaking themes, because it connects directly with my own experience rather than being a theoretical subject.
Reinventing Yourself
How to recognise when a new chapter is needed, make use of existing experience and move into something different.
The Non-Linear Career
Why working lives do not always follow a straight progression, and how apparently unrelated experiences can eventually connect.
Starting Again
Changing direction when circumstances alter, and finding ways to turn experience into new opportunities.
Skills for a Changing World
The importance of curiosity, adaptability and continuing to learn as technology, organisations and working environments change.
From Experience to Opportunity
How skills accumulated over many years can be repurposed in unexpected ways.
A Life of Reinvention
A personal account of moving through different countries, professions and interests, and ultimately into writing and speaking.
Related themes
Life Lessons
The experiences of work and change provide some of life's most practical lessons.
Curiosity & Discovery
Curiosity can lead us into new subjects, careers, places and opportunities.
Adventure & the Unexpected
Career changes and new chapters do not always arrive according to plan.
Life & Experiences
Work is one part of the much larger collection of experiences that make up a life.
Technology & Change
Technology has influenced many of the professional fields and transitions in Greg's working life.
Creativity & Expression
Music, writing and storytelling demonstrate how existing skills and interests can develop into new forms of work and expression.
Purpose & Meaning
Reinvention can involve asking not only “What can I do?” but also “What do I want to do with the experience I have gained?”
Places & Journeys
Moving between Australia, South Africa and Britain was itself a form of reinvention, bringing new environments, cultures and opportunities.
History and Times Gone By
The world around us, the times we lived in and how things have changed.
Featured material
Memories are personal. This theme hub can be about the world in which those memories happened — the places, technology, culture, social conditions and everyday life of earlier decades. The past isn't always history. Sometimes it's simply the world we grew up in. In my stories I spend time remembering what the world was like when I was actually living in it. I take a look back at the people, places, technology and everyday life of times gone by.
That works particularly well with my material because Memories Are Made of This spans three countries and several decades, while its online companion deliberately adds historical, geographical and cultural context to the individual stories. This is about lived history. The past is not always found in history books. Sometimes it is remembered through the places we lived, the things we used, the journeys we made and the everyday details that seemed unremarkable at the time. These stories offer glimpses of the world Greg grew up in and the changes he has witnessed since.
Memories Are Made of This
Stories from a world that has changed — and some things that haven't.
Memories Are Made of This is a journey through 51 experiences from Greg's life across Australia, South Africa and Britain. The stories provide glimpses of earlier periods of everyday life, travel, technology, places and cultures, from childhood experiences through to adventures and encounters later in life.
The book's online companion adds historical, geographical and cultural context to the stories, with more than 1,600 curated links supporting the individual chapters.
Articles & Stories
Stories from earlier times, and glimpses of a world that has changed.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Growing up in earlier decades
Childhood and life in Australia
Growing up in South Africa
Life before smartphones and the internet
Changes in technology and everyday life
Old forms of transport and travel
Places that have changed over time
Historical events encountered through personal experience
Memories of people, communities and ways of life
The changing character of towns and cities
Looking back at earlier cultural attitudes and customs
Personal experiences viewed through the perspective of time
The history behind particular places, journeys or experiences
Blog articles:
Why I Left Australia — Your experiences of a particular period in Australian life.
Growing Up in South Africa — Your personal recollections of growing up in South Africa.
Lessons From Living in Australia, South Africa, and the UK — How experiences in different countries and periods have influenced your perspective.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
8. FARM VISIT, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 13. THE YELLOWWOOD TREE, 18. THE EASTERN TRANSVAAL, 26. RUGBY, 28. WINE ROUTE, 29. TABLE MOUNTAIN, 40. PARIS, 45. PLATYPUS BROWN, WATER BLUE, 46. THE CONCORDE, 49. STONEHENGE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
The memoir provides a personal record of experiences across three continents and three cultures. Its stories range from childhood and travel to adventure, wildlife and encounters with unfamiliar places, providing snapshots of different periods and ways of life.
The book's companion material is particularly relevant to this theme because each story can be explored through additional historical, geographical and cultural context.
The World Behind the Stories
Explore the historical, geographical and cultural background behind selected stories from Memories Are Made of This — the places, periods and circumstances that help put each experience into context.
Speaking
There is a good speaking opportunity here, particularly because your life has crossed three countries, several decades and a period of enormous technological and social change.
Growing Up in a Changing World
A personal journey through childhood, adulthood and the changes in everyday life witnessed across several decades.
Three Countries, Three Cultures
What life was like growing up in Australia, living in South Africa and later settling in Britain — and how places and historical circumstances shape our experiences.
Then and Now
An entertaining look at how everyday life, technology, travel and communication have changed within a single lifetime. It is immediately understandable to a general audience and gives me plenty of scope for anecdotes, photographs and comparisons without becoming a formal history lecture.
The World Behind the Memories
How historical and cultural context can change our understanding of personal memories and the stories we tell about them.
Living Through Change
A personal perspective on technological, social and cultural change — from the world of childhood to the digital age.
Related themes
Memories and Moments
Personal memories provide the raw material for looking back at earlier periods.
Places & Journeys
The history of a place often becomes part of the story of travelling through it.
Childhood & Growing Up
Childhood provides a particularly vivid window into the everyday life of an earlier period.
Music & Sounds of Life
Music, sounds and technology can be powerful reminders of particular decades.
Technology & Change
Few things demonstrate the passage of time more clearly than the technology we use every day.
Life Lessons
Looking back can reveal lessons and perspectives that were not obvious at the time.
Nature and The Outdoors
Landscapes, wildlife and outdoor experiences provide another way of connecting personal memories with the past.
Work and Reinvention
Changing occupations and working practices provide a personal perspective on wider changes in society and technology.
Learning and Curiosity
Questions, discoveries and the joy of never stopping learning.
Featured material
This hub is about a characteristic that runs through much of my life story: the willingness to ask questions, investigate things, acquire new skills and see where curiosity leads. That is strongly supported by the memoir's emphasis on fresh perspectives, sense of wonder and experiences driven by curiosity. Curiosity keeps the world interesting. Learning keeps it open. I've always been interested in finding out what happens next.
Memories Are Made of This
Curiosity is often where the story begins.
The 51 stories in Memories Are Made of This are drawn from experiences across Australia, South Africa and Britain. Many began with a simple willingness to explore, try something unfamiliar or find out what would happen next.
From childhood adventures and travel to unusual encounters, new experiences and learning from the unexpected, the stories reflect a life shaped by curiosity, exploration and a willingness to keep discovering. The book itself describes each chapter as offering a fresh perspective and a sense of wonder.
Articles & Stories
Stories about asking questions, discovering something new and following curiosity wherever it leads.
Curiosity has a habit of opening doors. These stories explore the questions, discoveries, experiments and experiences that have encouraged Greg to keep learning — sometimes deliberately, and sometimes simply because he wanted to know what was around the corner. My interests have ranged from civil engineering, geography and computer science to music production, sustainability, website development, chess, history and technology, which makes lifelong curiosity a genuine thread.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Curiosity and asking questions
Learning from experience
Discovering new places and cultures
Trying something for the first time
Learning new skills later in life
Technology and discovering what it can do
Music, recording and creative experimentation
Geography, maps and the world around us
History and finding out how things came to be
Unexpected discoveries
Travel as a form of learning
Writing and researching the stories behind memories
Chess, problem-solving and intellectual curiosity
Continuing to learn rather than assuming you already know enough
Blog articles:
Mastering Your Personal Growth: A Step-by-Step Guide — Learning to develop oneself through deliberate effort.
Simple Steps to Jumpstart Your Personal Development — Practical ways to begin learning and growing.
How to Start Personal Development in 5 Minutes a Day — Making personal learning part of everyday life.
What Music Really Is and Why It Shapes Everything We Do — Exploring the nature and influence of music.
How to Start Learning a Musical Instrument as an Adult Without Feeling Overwhelmed — Acquiring new skills and developing musical knowledge.
What Creativity Really Is and Why You're Using It Every Day Without Realising — Understanding creativity in everyday life.
What Technology Really Is and How It Quietly Shapes Every Decision You Make — Exploring the influence of technology on our lives.
Quick Tech Update: AI Tools Are Becoming Everyday Household Utilities — Developments in artificial intelligence and their everyday applications.
How to Stay Tech-Savvy Without Feeling Overwhelmed — Maintaining technological knowledge and learning new skills.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
2. THE BELLOWS-POWERED ORGAN, 6. DRAMA, 9. THE DENTIST, 20. FLIGHT, 21. CHESS, 22. CHICKENS, 37. PIANO, 41. CARS, 43. G.I.S., 44. CIVIL ENGINEERING, 45. PLATYPUS BROWN, WATER BLUE, 46. THE CONCORDE, 51. EDUCATION
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
The memoir is a natural fit for this theme because many of its stories begin with curiosity: wanting to see somewhere new, understand something unfamiliar, try an unusual experience or discover what might happen next.
The book's online companion extends that idea further, providing maps, photographs and more than 1,600 curated links giving historical, geographical and cultural context to the individual stories.
The Curiosity Behind the Stories Explore the questions, discoveries and unexpected experiences that lie behind selected stories from Memories Are Made of This.
Speaking
This theme gives me several very natural speaking subjects.
The Power of Curiosity
How asking questions and remaining open to new experiences can change the direction of a life. Ideal for community organisations, businesses and general audiences, while my personal stories provide the evidence and entertainment.
Never Stop Learning
Why learning does not have to stop when formal education ends — and how curiosity can lead to entirely new interests and skills.
Curiosity, Discovery & Adventure
How a willingness to investigate, explore and try something different can produce experiences that would never have happened otherwise.
A Curious Life
A personal journey through three countries, different careers, technology, music, writing and the many subjects that have caught Greg's attention along the way.
Learning from Experience
What real-world experience can teach us that cannot necessarily be learned from a classroom.
Related themes
Life Lessons
Curiosity often leads to experiences from which lessons emerge.
Places & Journeys
Travel provides some of the most obvious opportunities to discover unfamiliar places, people and cultures.
History and Times Gone By
An interest in the past is another expression of curiosity about how the world came to be what it is.
Nature and The Outdoors
Exploring the natural world encourages observation, questioning and discovery.
Work and Reinvention
Learning new skills and following new interests can open entirely new professional directions.
Music & Sounds of Life
Music provides an area where curiosity can lead from listening to playing, recording, production and experimentation.
Memories and Moments
Many memorable experiences begin with a simple decision to investigate, explore or try something new.
Adventure & the Unexpected
Curiosity is often what gets us into the unexpected in the first place.
Adventure and Discovery
Travel exploration and stepping outside the comfort zone.
Featured material
This hub is particularly well supported by Memories Are Made of This: the book includes experiences such as surviving a tropical storm at sea, hiking the Fish River Canyon, touring Paris independently, parasailing, ostrich riding, sailing, skydiving and wildlife encounters. The common thread is not simply adventure for its own sake, but curiosity, saying yes to experiences and discovering what happens when you step outside the familiar. Sometimes you discover the adventure simply by going to see what happens. Many of my stories came from curiosity, opportunity, modest amounts of planning and a willingness to give something a try.
Memories Are Made of This
The best adventures are often the ones you didn't plan.
Memories Are Made of This brings together 51 true stories from Greg's life across Australia, South Africa and Britain. The adventures range from childhood experiences and international travel to hiking, sailing, skydiving, parasailing, wildlife encounters and some decidedly unusual encounters with the world around him.
The stories are not simply accounts of places visited or things done. They are about what happens when curiosity, opportunity and a willingness to try something different lead you somewhere unexpected.
Articles & Stories
Stories of exploration, unexpected experiences and finding out what lies beyond the familiar.
Adventure does not always require a grand plan. Sometimes it begins with curiosity, an opportunity or the simple decision to see what happens. These stories follow Greg's journeys, encounters and discoveries across three continents and several decades. In a nutshell, this could be: Go somewhere new. Try something different. See what happens.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories involving:
Travel and exploration
Outdoor adventures
Wildlife encounters
Childhood adventures
First experiences
Unusual journeys
Exploring unfamiliar countries and cultures
Hiking, sailing and other outdoor activities
Unexpected events
Taking opportunities when they appear
Trying something simply because it looks interesting
Adventures on a modest budget
Stories where curiosity led to an unexpected outcome
The places and experiences generate the actions that later became lasting memories
Blog articles:
Why I Left Australia — The decision to leave a familiar environment and embark on a new chapter.
How Living on Three Continents Shaped My Life and Perspective — Discovering different cultures and ways of life.
Lessons From Living in Australia, South Africa, and the UK — Insights gained from living in different countries.
Quick Insights From Life on Three Continents — A concise account of your experiences abroad.
Growing Up in South Africa — Experiences of life in a different cultural and geographical setting.
The Stories Behind the Stories — The experiences that have provided material for your writing.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
1. NO TRESPASSING, 7. SKYDIVING AND MOSQUITOES, 8. FARM VISIT, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 15. CRAYFISHING, 17. THE FISH RIVER CANYON 1989 1992 1994, 20. FLIGHT, 25. BEACHES, 27. THE BIG FLAP, 28. WINE ROUTE, 29. TABLE MOUNTAIN, 32. SAILING, 33. AROUND AFRICA EXPEDITION, 34. THE MOUNTAINS AND THE FALLS, 36. LESOTHO (Leh-SUE-two), 40. PARIS, 46. THE CONCORDE, 49. STONEHENGE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
This is the natural flagship publication for the theme. The book's stories include adventures ranging from a severe tropical storm aboard an ocean liner and hiking Namibia's Fish River Canyon to parasailing, ostrich riding, sailing, skydiving and encounters with wildlife.
The book also connects adventure with a broader theme of choices, risks, curiosity and the unexpected moments that help shape a life.
The Adventures Behind the Stories Explore selected stories from Memories Are Made of This and discover the places, people, risks and unexpected events that turned ordinary journeys into memorable adventures. The online companion is also worth mentioning here because the book's stories are supported by maps, photographs and more than 1,600 curated links providing historical, geographical and cultural context.
Speaking
This theme gives me several strong speaking possibilities.
A Life of Adventure
A personal journey through three continents, unusual experiences, unexpected encounters and the decisions that turned opportunities into memories.
Curiosity, Adventure & Discovery
How curiosity can take us beyond the familiar and lead to experiences we could never have planned.
Say Yes to the Unexpected
How being willing to try something different can open the door to experiences, friendships and discoveries that would otherwise never happen.
The Adventure of a Lifetime
A collection of stories from Greg's life that demonstrate how adventure can appear in ordinary circumstances as well as extraordinary ones.
Three Continents, Many Adventures
A personal journey through Australia, South Africa and Britain, and the adventures and discoveries encountered along the way.
Related themes
Learning and Curiosity
Curiosity is often the starting point for discovery and adventure.
Nature and The Outdoors
Many of Greg's adventures have taken place outdoors, among wildlife and dramatic landscapes.
Places & Journeys
Travel provides the setting for many of the discoveries and experiences described in the memoir.
Memories and Moments
Adventures become the memorable moments that remain long after the journey is over.
Life Lessons
Unexpected experiences often teach us something, even when that was not why we embarked on them.
History and Times Gone By
Travelling through different countries and periods provides opportunities to discover how places and societies have changed.
Music & Sounds of Life
Music and creative experiences can themselves become forms of exploration and discovery.
Work and Reinvention
Trying new things and remaining open to opportunity can lead not only to personal adventures but to new professional directions.
Growth and Change
Evolving, adapting and becoming the person you are meant to be.
Featured material
This theme hub is about what happens to us and how we develop as a result. A life is not static. My memoir spans Australia, South Africa and Britain, several stages of adulthood, different careers and a wide range of experiences. The book itself explicitly frames those experiences in terms of the choices, risks and unexpected moments that shape who we become.
Memories Are Made of This
The person we become is shaped by the life we have lived.
Memories Are Made of This follows 51 experiences from Greg's life across three continents and three cultures. The stories cover childhood, travel, adventure, work, relationships and unexpected events, but together they also trace something broader: the gradual process of becoming the person we are.
Some changes are planned. Others simply happen. New places, new people, new challenges and unexpected experiences can all alter the direction of a life. The memoir looks back at those experiences with the benefit of hindsight, asking what they meant and what they contributed to the journey.
Articles & Stories
Stories about the changes that shape us and the experiences that move life forward.
Life changes whether we plan for it or not. These stories explore the experiences, decisions, challenges and discoveries that have changed Greg's direction, perspective and understanding of the world. Life changes us. Sometimes gradually. Sometimes all at once. We don't stay the same person throughout our lives. The interesting part is finding out who we become.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories dealing with:
Growing up and becoming independent
Moving between countries and cultures
Changes in circumstances and direction
Career changes and professional development
Learning from experience
Starting new chapters
Adapting to unfamiliar situations
Personal challenges and resilience
Changing attitudes and perspectives with age
Relationships and the influence of other people
Technology and changing ways of living
Discovering new interests later in life
Looking back at earlier versions of yourself
Turning unexpected events into new opportunities
Blog articles:
Mastering Your Personal Growth: A Step-by-Step Guide — Developing personal skills and capabilities.
Simple Steps to Jumpstart Your Personal Development — Taking the first steps towards personal growth.
How to Start Personal Development in 5 Minutes a Day — Establishing habits that support continued growth.
Building Unshakable Personal Resilience: A Step-by-Step Guide — Adapting to challenges and setbacks.
5 Practical Ways to Build Personal Resilience — Developing the capacity to recover from difficulties.
Quick Tips for Building Personal Resilience — Practical approaches to personal resilience.
Personal Transformation: What It Really Means and How It Changes Everything — The process of personal transformation.
A Quick Note on Personal Transformation — A shorter perspective on personal change.
Why Personal Transformation Matters More Than Ever — The importance of adapting to changing circumstances.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
5. GOING TO WORK, 6. DRAMA, 7. SKYDIVING AND MOSQUITOES, 9. THE DENTIST, 10. STORM ON THE OCEAN, 16. SMALL BOXES, 20. FLIGHT, 21. CHESS, 22. CHICKENS, 26. RUGBY, 30. TUG OF WAR, 35. THE BIG FLOP, 51. EDUCATION
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
The memoir is particularly well suited to this theme because its stories cover different periods and places in Greg's life. Born in Australia, shaped by experiences in South Africa and later living in Britain, his life has involved substantial changes of environment, culture, work and circumstance.
The book's central question is essentially how experiences, choices, risks and unexpected moments shape the people we become.
The Chapters That Changed Me Explore stories from Memories Are Made of This in which a new place, experience, challenge or decision marked a change in Greg's life or perspective.
Speaking
This theme gives me some strong speaking possibilities:
The Chapters We Didn't Plan
How unexpected events can become turning points and lead us into completely new areas of life.
Growth Through Experience
How the experiences we encounter over a lifetime can change our perspective, skills and understanding of ourselves.
A Life in Three Countries
How moving between Australia, South Africa and Britain shaped Greg's outlook, identity and approach to life.
Change Happens
A personal exploration of adapting when circumstances change, opportunities appear or plans no longer work.
Becoming Who You Are
How childhood, work, relationships, challenges and experiences gradually contribute to the person we become.
Reinvention and the Next Chapter
Why changing direction does not necessarily mean abandoning the past, but can mean finding a new use for what we have already learned.
Related themes
Work and Reinvention
Career changes and new professional directions are an important part of personal growth.
Life Lessons
Growth often becomes visible through the lessons we take from experience.
Learning and Curiosity
Continued learning and curiosity provide ways of responding positively to change.
Adventure & Discovery
New experiences and unfamiliar situations can become catalysts for personal development.
Memories and Moments
Looking back at individual moments helps reveal how a life has changed over time.
Places & Journeys
Physical journeys and changes of location can become important stages in personal development.
Family & Relationships
The people around us influence how we grow and change throughout our lives.
History and Times Gone By
Looking back allows us to see not only how we have changed, but how the world around us has changed as well.
The Everyday Extraordinary
Finding wonder, humour and meaning in ordinary days.
Featured material
An extraordinary life does not necessarily consist of extraordinary events. My memoir is full of moments that became memorable because of the people involved, the circumstances, the humour, the unexpected detail or simply the fact that I was there. The book itself describes its stories as a collection of experiences offering fresh perspectives and a sense of wonder, while covering everything from childhood and travel to wildlife and adventure. Sometimes the most memorable stories begin as ordinary moments.
Memories Are Made of This
There is often more to an ordinary moment than first appears.
Memories Are Made of This brings together 51 true stories from Greg's life across Australia, South Africa and Britain. Some involve obvious adventure; others begin with much more ordinary circumstances. What connects them is the way an experience becomes memorable — sometimes because something unexpected happens, sometimes because of the people involved, and sometimes simply because a moment was seen differently in retrospect.
The book is ultimately about paying attention to the experiences that make up a life: the amusing, surprising, awkward, adventurous and occasionally improbable moments that might otherwise have been forgotten.
Articles & Stories
Stories about the moments when ordinary life becomes unexpectedly memorable.
Not every memorable experience begins as an adventure. Sometimes it is an ordinary day, an ordinary place or an ordinary encounter that suddenly takes an unexpected turn. These stories look at the moments that make everyday life rather less ordinary. The emphasis here is on noticing the story in the ordinary. Life has a habit of making ordinary days more interesting than expected.
This section could bring together blog posts and stories involving:
Everyday experiences with an unexpected twist
Funny or unusual incidents
Small moments that became lasting memories
People who made an ordinary situation memorable
Unexpected encounters
Childhood incidents
Travel experiences that did not go according to plan
Everyday life in different countries and cultures
Ordinary places with an interesting story behind them
Coincidences and unexpected connections
Humorous observations about everyday life
Moments that only became significant when looking back
The stories behind apparently ordinary photographs or memories
Blog articles:
The Stories Behind the Stories — The experiences and observations that become stories.
What Creativity Really Is and Why You're Using It Every Day Without Realising — Recognising creativity in ordinary activities.
How to Build a Creative Life Even If You Don't Think You're Creative — Finding opportunities for creativity in everyday life.
Quick Update: Creativity Levels Are Rising and Communities Are Benefiting — Creativity and its role in community life.
What Music Really Is and Why It Shapes Everything We Do — The presence and influence of music in everyday experiences.
How to Start Personal Development in 5 Minutes a Day — Finding opportunities for personal growth in ordinary routines.
Book chapters (Memories Are Made Of This):
2. THE BELLOWS-POWERED ORGAN, 3. WYBMADIITY, 4. MAJOR TRACKER, 5. GOING TO WORK, 6. DRAMA, 9. THE DENTIST, 11. MUSIC ON THE ROOF, 14. GALLERY SEATS, 19. HOT WATER!, 22. CHICKENS, 23. BABOON SPIDER, 24. HORNET, 27. THE BIG FLAP, 35. THE BIG FLOP, 38. SUN CITY, 39. NOT THE BLUE DANUBE, 42. SCOTLAND AND THE PIE
Books & Publications
Memories Are Made of This
51 Short Stories That Will Make You Laugh, Cry, and See Life Differently
The memoir is the natural centrepiece of this theme. Its 51 stories range from major adventures to personal experiences that might initially seem quite ordinary, but which became memorable through circumstance, humour, people or hindsight. The book's stated purpose is not simply to recount unusual events, but to explore the choices, risks, values and unexpected moments that shape a life.
The Stories Hidden in Everyday Life Explore the stories from Memories Are Made of This where an ordinary situation, familiar place or passing encounter became something worth remembering.
The book's online companion is also particularly relevant here, because its maps, photographs and extensive contextual links allow individual memories to be explored in much greater depth.
Speaking
The Extraordinary in the Everyday How ordinary experiences can become memorable stories — and why we often don't recognise their significance until much later. This topic is broad enough for literary groups, community organisations and general audiences, and it gives me plenty of room to tell actual stories.
Finding the Story in Everyday Life How paying attention to people, places and unexpected details can reveal stories where we might otherwise see only routine.
The Moments We Remember Why some apparently insignificant moments stay with us for decades while other, supposedly important events fade surprisingly quickly.
A Life Made of Moments A personal journey through the small experiences, major adventures and unexpected encounters that together form a life.
There's a Story in That An entertaining look at how everyday observations, coincidences and unusual encounters can become material for a storyteller.
Related themes
Memories and Moments
The most natural connection: moments become memories, and memories become stories.
Adventure & Discovery
Some everyday situations unexpectedly turn into adventures.
Learning and Curiosity
Curiosity helps us notice details and ask questions about the world around us.
Life Lessons
Even apparently ordinary experiences can leave us with something to think about.
Family & Relationships
Many of life's most memorable ordinary moments involve the people around us.
Places & Journeys
A familiar place can become memorable because of what happened there.
Music & Sounds of Life
A song, sound or piece of music can turn an ordinary moment into a lasting memory.
History and Times Gone By
Everyday experiences can provide small windows into how life used to be.
Nature and The Outdoors
Some of the most memorable experiences come simply from being outside and noticing what is around us.