Creating Community Through Shared Stories

What does it mean to start over in a world so vastly different from the one you knew? Journey with me from the heart of Sierra Leone, facing the trials and triumphs of finding asylum and forging a new life in Australia. Through the lens of my personal story, I share the complexities of adapting to a new culture, navigating marriage, and embracing fatherhood, all while wrestling with anxiety and depression. My ex-wife's steadfast support remains a beacon in my mental health journey, and this episode is as much about resilience as it is about vulnerability. Together, we reflect on the power of learning from past mistakes and the unwavering pursuit of personal growth.

In the midst of these experiences, the birth of my educational podcast marks a new chapter, one that transforms adversity into a platform for shared knowledge. Join me as I recount the challenges of launching this project solo, from editing to sound management, all on a retail worker's budget. Despite the hurdles, my vision is clear: to create a community that thrives on mutual learning and collaboration. If you're passionate about storytelling or skilled in production, your talents could be the missing piece to this endeavor. Let's explore how we can join forces to make this vision a reality, turning a solitary dream into a shared adventure.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to David's Life
• 8:52 Building a Podcast Team

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hi everyone, sorry, I've got an exciting episode on its way, just dealing with some minor tweaks with it, and it'll be up soon. Thanks for your patience, thanks for being excited and sharing the word, and things like that, but I'm very, very excited to release it and show you the discussion I had with Ryan. I thought, though, while that's on the back burner sorting itself out, that I'd come in here and just basically introduce myself, because I just realized I haven't really introduced myself. I'm doing this podcast as a reflection, as a learning tool of what I've been through, but I just realized I haven't actually talked to you guys on an intimate level, giving you a quick synopsis of my life and for a lot of you, it's things that you already know, so bear with me, but for the majority of you, there's going to be a lot of things that you didn't know, or I just don't publicize, I just don't share um, that's just me. I'll always be this way, I'll always be private um, and if you have a problem with that, then that's for you. To to to um, yeah, figure out yourself.

Speaker 1: 1:19

Um, but everyone, my name is david, um, and I sometimes go by the nickname caro. But yeah, my name is David and I sometimes go by the nickname Cairo, but yeah, my name is David and I was born in Western Africa, in Sierra Leone, grew up in a refugee camp with my mum and my brother, and then my mum met my stepdad on the refugee camp and, yeah, basically they got married and we all were seeking asylum or seeking resettlement. A lot happened during that time, but I'm not going to go into it. This is just meant to be a quick introduction into me. Anyway, we got approved to come into Australia and everything was new. You know me learning a new um culture, um, you know meeting new people, new language, uh, you know making friends, the education system, food, everything, learning that. When we came to Australia, tasmania and yeah, where I am right now is my immediate family have all moved to the mainland and I'm still on the island in Tasmania and yeah, it's a village, but yeah, it is what it is Basically in my sort of little world. I got married in 2021.

Speaker 1: 2:59

That didn't work out so well as a result of my own demons and mental health and things like that, but I still retain a very, very, very positive and positive and strong relationship with, I suppose, my ex now my ex-wife. We had a beautiful daughter together and she's basically the best thing that's ever happened to us and we adore her to bits. So I'm a father of one and I have a really good relationship with the mother of my child, and that was okay Throughout that relationship. Breaking down and then me getting introduced or introducing other people into my life, other females in my life is basically where we are now, where there were people that had no business to be in my life. They were absolutely toxic, emotionally immature, boigin, destructive people that I allowed into my life and they definitely left some damage, and that's where I am now healing from that. Now, this is not to say that I was a saint or I didn't have a hand to play in my own demise. There was definitely things I did wrong. There was definitely things I wish I could have done differently, but that's life you live and learn, yeah, so now I'm 30 years old, single, I'm a dad of one and I wanted to create this podcast as a result of all the things I've gone through and things like that.

Speaker 1: 4:27

Personally, I struggle with mental health, I struggle with anxiety, I struggle with depression and I struggle with the thought of unaliving, and I've struggled with that for a long time, struggle with the thought of unaliving, and I've struggled with that for a long time. And I'd like to give a great big shout out to my ex-wife, because she's the only reason why I'm alive to this day, because she's the only person that, on a hourly basis, checks in on me, checks in, makes sure that I've eaten. She'll call and or she'll text me and say, hey, have you had food, did you sleep, have you had water? And things like that, like she's the only person and the only reason why I would say I'm still alive and still here today only because of her. Um, you know, while everyone else is focusing on subscribing to facebook groups to do to discredit guys, while everyone is focusing on the noise or everyone is posting things about, um, guys and girls without consequences, and I think you're not realizing the detriment and the damage it does on people she's not been anything like.

Speaker 1: 5:28

She's just kept her head down and removed herself from from anything like that and just kept her low profile and just kept her in a whole little bubble. And she's an incredible, smart, beautiful woman and she is my biggest supporter and times when I've been low, she's been there. Times when everyone's destroyed me. Everyone's done what they've done. They just send me back to her for her to rebuild me again, and every time she's been there open arms, saying come here, let me take care of you, welcome home. So, as a result of her, I'm I'm, I'm here just because of her. Um, I won't say her name. People that already know me will know who she is, but I'm not going to say because I like her being away from all this childish shit that all you other girls are all about and things like that, um, like that immature, childish shit.

Speaker 1: 6:16

But, um, again, this is just a platform to, like I've said numerous times to express me, express everything like that. Again, please do not for one second think that I am preaching or that I am perfect, that I didn't have a hand in this. There's certain, as this podcast goes on, you realize a lot of stupid things that I've done and a lot of poor choices I've made, and this is not to say that these women where the soul. You know aggressors, however, there were not people I should have allowed into my circle come to disrupt my peace, because that's what they did. They disrupted my peace and now I'm trying to find it again. You know, struggle with sleep, struggle with eating, struggle with everything you know, mind running a million miles an hour, lack of appetite, just not in a healthy place. But I'm working towards it and this is why you guys are here, because I'm using you guys. I'm sorry, but I'm using you guys as a form of healing, a form of growth for me to get better. Again, I would like to repeat I am not perfect. This is just me using this platform to help myself.

Speaker 1: 7:31

And remember, no one knows me. You do not know me. Anyone that's saying things to you, hey, no one knows me, because I live a very private life and, like I said at the start of this, if you find that an issue with that, that's for you to deal with. But I've always been private. So if someone's telling you things about me or posting about me or saying that is for them, but no one knows me. Unless it comes out of my mouth, unless I open you into my world, you don't know me and no one knows me. Throughout this, you may get to know me a little bit, but I will not. I will not cow away from all the things that have been posted and all the lies that have been spread. I am not afraid. I'm enjoying where I am right now.

Speaker 1: 8:10

I'm loving that I'm pressing some of you people, that you people are so pressed about my life. I'm not going up looking about your life. I'm not digging up about your life. I'm not screenshotting your life. I'm just in my own lane focusing on me. I don't even think about your life. So if you're going out there looking after me and posting me and mate, that's you.

Speaker 1: 8:32

While I'm, while you're busy focusing on me, I'm going to take a, you know, take a, a nice warm shower and I'm and I'm good. So I'm not, um, you know, fazed by that. That's all fuel to me. So keep talking, guess what? Keep talking behind my back, because it all comes behind my back, that's. It Makes no difference to me. No way, no how.

Speaker 1: 8:52

So, yeah, I hope this podcast is something that is an educational tool, that it's helpful to not only guys but girls as well, young or old. And again, guys, I'm doing everything. You see, everything I'm posting, everything I'm posted is all on me. I'm doing by myself, a team of one, and I know nothing about technology. So please bear with me. I'm learning as I go. But if you're, if you know a little bit, or if you want to help, please reach out. I am looking for editors, I am looking for um camera someone to hold a camera for me. I'm looking for, um, you know, sound. I'm looking for just you know anyway. And I'm looking for funds, pretty much, you know, because, um, I work in retail and there's not a lot of funds there, but yeah, so if you think you can help in any way, I'm more than happy to have a discussion with you and happy for you to join the family and join the team. Thanks again, guys. I uh hope you have a great day and thanks for listening and you have a good, good day.