Podcasting

I've been writing for years now and although I may not be an expert I thought I would develop my skills in another area, namely podcasting. Over the last few months I have been drawn to things that I have an overriding and irrational fear of, as you can imagine this has been a bag of laughs. One of the things I am particularly uncomfortable with is listening to my own voice, namely any recording of my voice. As I have been writing my book to help with mental health I thought it would be useful to also have an audio format for those that don't read real good and stuff. So I am killing two very fat birds with one pebble, here's hoping it works.

Last night was the first recording session for my new podcast "The Grumpy Man". I was joined by my fantastic friend Mr. Michael Hanney at The Barber Shop bar in Sydney's CBD, a chilled venue conveniently located around the corner from where we work. My goal with this podcast is for it to be relaxed and feel as though you are having a drink with friends. Hopefully when you listen you won't just think that we sound like two pissed old men talking shit, but rather that you'll draw similarities with your own experience and situation. My chat with Michael covered a great number of things, but the overriding focus was discovering what each of us do to stay mentally balanced and healthy when suffering with depression or anxiety. I am finishing off editing tomorrow morning, so I hope to have it all released by the weekend. Unfortunately for you we were having a bloody brilliant time and talked a great deal, so this chat will be a two parter! I'll keep you updated here when it is ready and will probably host it on my website www.tomalfry.com which is undergoing some work as we speak.

I plan on having a few other great friends on the show to talk shit and drink beer with me in great venues. If you are interested in telling a little of your story and sharing your own experiences with mental health then please feel free to get in touch at tjalfry@icloud.com. My aim has always been to make it easier for people to talk about depression, especially men who seem about as good at talking as wearing high heel shoes.

I'll leave you with some wisdom from my childhood idol,

Tom :)

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." - Muhammad Ali