Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface Alex Melia

It was a beautiful autumnal morning and Andrew was thoroughly enjoying being at a Senior Golf Tour. During the event, a leaflet was handed to him concerning prostate cancer. He took it out of politeness and immediately shoved it into his pocket unread.
It wasn’t until many days later that Andrew chanced upon the leaflet again as he was about to take his dog out for a walk. This time, he decided to read it and what he read motivated him to get checked out; it would turn out that this would be one of the most important decisions he had ever made in his life.
But why is it that so many men refuse to see the doctor, even when they have symptoms? And what more can be done to avoid the 12,000 people a year becoming victim to one of the most prevalent cancers in men?
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Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Andrew. The passionate and articulate way in which he shares his story and advocates for more men to learn from his experience is both inspiring and powerfully instructive. It also provides a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world. [Original air date: July 25th, 2023]
Website referenced in episode: www.prostatecanceruk.org
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Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/the_man_test

Kazeem had always had a strained relationship with his father. His dad abandoned him when he was a baby and Kazeem only ever had fleeting experiences of spending time with him as he was growing up. After his dad hit him across the face at the age of 12, Kazeem completely broke off relations with his father. But, aged 21 and now an adult, Kazeem decided to give his father one last chance.
On Kazeem’s 27th birthday, he received no message from his dad. It wasn’t until 4 days later that the belated birthday wishes arrived. Kazeem decided that he had had enough of his father’s lack of commitment and set out to break off relations with him once and for all. But, at a family function, they would find themselves unwillingly brought face-to-face once more. How would Kazeem react to seeing the man who had so constantly proved to be a disappointment? And how would Kazeem’s father react to being rejected by his son?
Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Kazeem. His thoughtful, open and considered reflections on a subject which so many will be able to relate to are immensely important and appreciated. They also provide a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world.
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Check out the Stories Of Men website for more on this story
We're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
A Fascinate Production

Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/the_man_test_som

As a queer man, Matt had always found the barbershop to be a particularly hyper-masculine space. He’d got on with everyone there, particularly the owner, but he had never felt comfortable enough to truly open up and be himself.
It was to his great surprise, then, that when entering the barbershop one day he was introduced to a new employee: a flamboyant Brazilian, who seemed to embrace all of the aspects of his personality that Matt had striven so hard not to reveal.
Had Matt misjudged his need to keep his authentic self hidden? And why had Matt originally found it necessary to mask his own form of masculinity in order to fit into this space?
Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Matt. His openness in discussing the challenges he and many in his community face is both enlightening and poignant. It also provides a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world. [Original air date: July 11th, 2023]
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Check out the Stories Of Men website for more on this story
We're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
A Fascinate Production

Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/som_the_man_test

David was exploring the world while scaling the heady heights of multi-sports journalism. In only his second “proper job” post-university, he found himself unexpectedly appointed editor of a new magazine specialising in all-terrain vehicles. As this was the only magazine of its kind, David received invites from manufacturers the world over in order to assess and review their products.
 It was as a result of such an invitation that David found himself speeding through a vast expanse of heathland in Quebec on a brand new quad bike. The problem was, however, that he was feeling highly uncomfortable. He couldn’t see the terrain well enough to feel safe and, the longer the ride continued,  the more vulnerable he began to feel.
What was it that underlay the vision problems that David was experiencing? And would he be able to extricate himself from such a perilous situation without experiencing serious harm?
Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, David. His humility, bravery and frankness while telling his story make for a powerful experience. It also provides a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world.
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Check out the Stories Of Men website for more on this story
We're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
A Fascinate Production

Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/the_man_test

Mark had spent many years working as a traffic police officer. During this time, he had experienced countless tragic sights. His response to these had been to bottle up his feelings. This had led to him becoming desensitised and uncaring. Dedicated counselling had been required to help Mark remove the barriers that had prevented him from dealing with the pain that had built inside.
When experiencing inflammatory arthritis then, Mark became devastated when he realised that the same pattern of erected barriers had become repeated, this time via an addiction to opioids.
What had led Mark to walking down the very path he had been determined not to retread? And what could our health care system do differently to support people like Mark more effectively in the future?
Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Mark. His frank and eye-opening reflections on the challenges he has faced are shared with both bravery and wisdom. They also provide a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world. [Original air date: June 27th, 2023]
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Check out the Stories Of Men website for more on this story
We're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
A Fascinate Production

Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/the_man_test_som

Dale Pollitt was 17 years old and appeared to be going nowhere. He’d just dropped out of school and was working at KFC. Like so many teenagers on the estate in which he lived, he spent most of his spare hours smoking weed and playing computer games. But one day he would receive some tragic news that would change his entire outlook on life.
He received a phone call from his mum telling him that he needed to come over to the house. He was panicked and sweating as he drove frantically to join her. When he arrived, he saw his mother, his father, his sister and a police officer waiting to receive him.
What would Dale discover that would lead to a complete evolution in his view of life? And what would Dale learn about becoming a man in the process?
Alex Melia, and the Stories of Men team are on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life. We'll be sharing this knowledge with you every week.
We’d like to extend our appreciation to today’s guest, Dale. His bravery and generosity in talking about such a tragic and transformative moment in his life is both inspiring and profoundly appreciated. It also provides a vital part of the puzzle as we try to piece together what it means to be a man in today’s world. [Original air date: June 20th, 2023]
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Check out the Stories Of Men website for more on this story
We're also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
A Fascinate Production

Mentioned in this episode:
Take The Man Test here: https://bit.ly/som_the_man_test