What is sin exactly? What does 'to sin' actually mean? What are the origins of the word? How does sin relate to the Bible? In this episode Rob and I answer a lot of questions while delving into the nature of sin, discussing etymologies, interpretations coming to the question of who are the true sinners, especially of today? Are they the every day people in our lives, our friends, family and neighbours or are they people in our governments, working daily towards undermining and destroying humanity? A large topic, you will discover the Seven Deadly Sins do not feature in the Bible nor does Original Sin. Where do they come from? Well, you'll have to give this one and listen and find out on another episode of Rob and Dolli: Life to Life.
Now, as we keep a steady vigil over our memories, we must add further thoughts, asking the question since that initial episode: have we changed our minds on life and loss? Our answers may not surprise you if you, dear listener, have been through the same. While the topic might be heavy, we allow our philosophies to unfold in another episode ofRob and Dolli: Life to Life.
Whether it be a son using secrets to protect himself from his prying father or two teens gathering secrets from their peers to use against them, the unrevealed has a power and yet the privately kept facets are so close to our hearts. Secrets have the power to both heal and hurt. Would you agree? What do the secrets you keep tell you about yourself, dear listener? And how have you used your secrets? For good or ill? A fascinating topic for today’s episode.
Today Dolly and I dig back into our deeper selves, reminiscing about the lost reverie that is childhood. We unearth a few memories, recalling those souls that made our long ago years so whimsical and special. We look at our cultural backgrounds that provided the roots for a Canadian and German youth. Also, we discuss the looming threats to childhood today, spanning from the education system, to technology and the everyday predators that lurk in bureaucracy. Did we have a good childhood? Did you?
For the last two years, our minds have been fed a lot of tall tales via mainstream media. The narrative waxes, wanes, wobbles and at times, seems to be on life support and yet the pundits keep on their performance each and every night on the news while print media continue to spew out the latest sensationalist story or 'fear porn'. In this episode, Dolli and I discuss our feelings about media, whether it is right to trust it after so much deceit, gaslighting and fear mongering. What are your thoughts, dear listener? Have you had enough? Are you ready to free yourself and put down roots in a new kind of world where communication is kind and information is not meant to shock or disturb us?
After reading and reviewing an article in The Atlantic about declaring a pandemic amnesty, Dolli and I discuss what exactly this 'amnesty' might look like. We reflect on her country's history and also the recent activism going on that is causing distress and harm to everyday people. Where does responsibility lie? How do we account for the actions and measures of others? Is there a 'we' out there who can mete out justice? Difficult questions to process but we need to approach them on this, another episode of Rob and Dolli.
After a hiatus, we are back. I have returned after a period of mourning, ready and willing to discuss such diverse topics as creativity, dreams, and coping with our current world of disharmony and distress. We keep things light while being reflective. It is not easy to be distant from everything going on all around us but we keep searching for authenticity while being appreciative of how our creativity and our zest for learning helps to maintain our sanity and health. Join us as we re-ignite our Rob and Dolli podcast and start up again, fresh like the newborn phoenix! (Bonus: Music track composed by yours truly, a piece I call 'Angel Unaware'.)
We have taken a small summer break following our last episode and for good reason. The days have been hot and sadly, my father passed away during the month of July. Today, I have decided to open up and discuss my feelings and address the grief. As we delve into our collected 'summer mourning' we find time to talk of ghosts, relationships and our general malaise. It may not be the most cheeriest of topics but sometimes we must dance with the shadows to regain the light. So, dear listener, with the searing sun, the humid hours, with Dolli and her German Sekt and me my Spanish red wine, we lift a glass to the darker domains of our lives, indulging in our libations while seeking a gentle plateau of peace.
It has been a crazy summer so far. The world needs to fall apart sometimes to come back into place. For many people, with Roe vs. Wade, it feels like the end of days following the controversial decision made by the Supreme Court in the United States back in June. Today, Dolli and I discuss the matter, the current a-word in our culture and try to understand the consequences from both sides. It is not an easy discussion as this 'modern Scarlet letter' creates immediate lines of division, including with us. Hopefully, dear listener, we have handled the conversation with respect. Not all topics are rosy and light but they need to be debated. How do we come to a compromise?
I have been working on a novel, Breathing Loss and Wonder, since 2014 and it is nearing completion. In this episode, Dolli provides some feedback after reading my book and we discuss the ideas and the inspiration behind certain scenes. Writing is about finding the right details to express a story and I share key insights while she reads from her favourite passage in my opus. Are you, dear listener, writing a book or are you engaged in reading a great novel? You may want to check out this episode.
The Dutch word 'baas' (master) provides us with the English word 'boss'. In German, 'der Chef', in French 'le patron', in Italian 'il capo' which all suggest a leader-as-master role. Yet what makes a good boss, a bad boss, an okay boss? In this episode, Rob and I do a little dive into our memories, mentioning our bosses of the past while discussing our expectations of what an ideal boss should or rather, could be like. Work is a matter of course and we all long to have a great job with great people at our side but also a great person at the top who sets the standards and appreciates his employees. I am sure what we would like to see in our bosses is not unheard of and you, dear listener, feel the same. So, why not have a listen and see if your expectations of a good boss match ours!
Schreiben ist eine einsame Leidenschaft. Schriftsteller leben zwar in der Welt, aber die Welt, die sie zum Schreiben inspiriert, ist zunächst in ihnen selbst zu Hause. Als Schriftstellerin habe ich zu Beginn des kreativen Prozesses so viele Fragen: Welche Geschichte will ich erzählen? Welche Figur wird mir helfen, sie zu erzählen? Welche Figuren sind rund, welche flach? Die leere Seite ist sowohl ein Aufruf zum Abenteuer als auch ein Ort des inneren Konflikts. Heute diskutieren Rob und ich den Weg des Schreibens mit einigen Lesungen aus meinem neuen Roman. Traum und Wahrheit. Schreiben Sie, liebe Zuhörer, auch? Welche Aspekte des Prozesses bereiten Ihnen Freude oder bereiten Ihnen Kummer? Vielleicht haben wir eine Menge gemeinsam.
What makes you turn the pages of a great novel or story? Many people love a great harrowing plot. Yet what would a plot be without wonderful characters to follow and fall in love with? Today, Dolli and I dive into a discussion about the importance of great characters and where they come from. We also touch upon inspiration, our ideas, and how we translate them onto the page. I also read two excerpts from my soon-to-be-finished novel, Breathing Loss and Wonder, a novel about family and the conflicted pasts that are never far behind us. So, please join us as we examine the every day magic in the lives of our fictional others.
Today we are faced with a dilemma. Germany or Canada? Culture or nature? Dolli and I discuss and explore what each country has to offer, what the pros and cons of both are from customer to service to even, yes, gulp, who might be more attractive as a nation overall. We also dispel some myths about our home countries. Which country will win? Which would you choose: Culture or nature? Decisions, decisions...
In consideration of Good Friday, Dolli and I have chosen the topic of betrayal. A heavy topic but one that yields a catharsis through analysis, confrontation and confession. We delve into how betrayal has shaped our lives, and more importantly, the hurt that has come from either betraying or being betrayed. We cannot shy from the tender truths and, we have to ask ourselves, in the wake of what we’ve done, or what has been done to us, how could we have handled ourselves better? And how do we move beyond betrayal? How exactly do we heal? All relevant questions, especially in this day and age when so many around the world feel wronged by the policies of the last two years. We hope you come away with something new.
In this episode, Dolii, her husband, Uwe, and I discuss the music and the strenuous and strange world of life in the GDR (German Democratic Republic - DDR or Deutsche Demokratische Republik). From stories about the popularity of the band Genesis in East Germany to the long application process for buying a car (‘the running cardboard’), the gouging of the black market, gasoline shortages, Stasi boyfriends, banal punishments for a family member visiting the west, we’re on a wonky journey to the past in the conflicted East. Some fun surprises? Did you know that former secret police agents became taxi drivers after the fall of the Berlin Wall? There is more to discover here, so join us for this curious adventure into the world of yesteryear!
Today, we take on a topic close to our hearts - poetry! Dolli and I had been discussing doing an episode like this for some time, where we share our favourite poems and explore the meanings, but also why the works resonate deeply with us. From Byron to Bukowski, from Japanese poems penned by samurai to one written by yours truly, we indulge in the rhythms, the philosophies and sensuality of poetry.
Dolli and I have known each other for some time now. But did you know our friendship and working relationship began with a book? In 2014, she was looking for someone to help her edit and revise her novel, A Guernsey Promise. In this episode learn how Dolli, through serendipity and synchronicity, fell into my life and together and with the discerning editorial skills of my mother, Liz Roy, we were able to carve the story into a published novel. Naturally, we discuss the beauty of Guernsey, and she shares some tourism tips, places to visit, things to see. So joins us for another Rob and Dolli Life to Life where we reminisce and reflect on writing and friendship.
In this episode, Dolli and I revisit moments in our lives, both in the recent and distant past, where we've had to learn compassion, to extend it towards another or, as many people often forget to do, to even offer it to ourselves. We discuss the varieties of compassion and kindness even in regard to death and discuss the work of author and researcher, William J. Peters, and his book At Heaven's Door, as well as his findings surrounding the shared experience of death. Further on, I read a passage from my near-complete novel, Breathing Loss and Wonder.
In this episode, Dolli and I take a deep dive into loss, what it means, how it appears in our life. Whether it is the loss of an important game, the end of a friendship through a heated disagreement, or losing someone close to us through death, loss affects all our lives, small or great. And by discussing the implications, the aftermaths, we can gather the means and methods of how to heal and move on from loss. We all experience loss. Please join us on this necessary topic in such difficult times.
