Meet me in the field

It is a great pleasure to introduce you to my friend Nick.

Nick is one of my favourite people in the whole world to listen to. He is a rabbit hole of information, facts, knowledge, quirks, trivia and authenticity, and I love him for it. I want to, and can say a lot more about him, but this is a long episode, so I shall allow our chat to do the talking.

If you want to contact Nick as a photographer, find him on his website (http://nickaldridge.net/) or on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/phototraveller/). For coaching, track him down on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/outlierinsight/) or email him on [email protected].

This podcast is supported by “Orangutans in the field”. The podcast where Merwe and I talk about life stuff, how it impacts our mental health and how we deal with it. Catch this unedited, raw, sometimes hard-hitting and always blatantly honest podcast on Anchor.fm (https://anchor.fm/orangutans-in-the-field) and Iono.fm (https://iono.fm/c/5651).

Please also look out for information on my book, Life Anon: A 12-step guide to life (https://lifeanon.co.za/). You can find it by following the link from the right of my home page (https://www.freddie.org.za/). It costs R300 without postage. Order from me in my shop (http://www.freddieshop.co.za/).

This is Nick’s story. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I am happy to introduce you to Yule Banda.

I met Yule in the same online men’s group in which I met Jurgens, The Rune Grandmaster ( https://www.freddie.org.za/mmitf/2021/08/19/the-rune-grand-master.html) of two episodes ago.

I experienced Yule as someone with a vast amount of serenity and I wanted to find out how he got to that place and how he maintains it. So, I asked him to be our guest on Meet me in the field.

We meet a man of deep faith, who uses this faith to carry him through times and to live a life of standing in service of his fellow man. In his capacity as a Coach, he guides people to understand their free choices and to nurture their natural talent to live full and fulfilling lives.

If you want to find Yule and maybe use his services, log on to his [website]( http://transcendentcoach.com/) or find him on his [Facebook page]( https://www.facebook.com/TranscendentCoach).

This podcast is supported by “Orangutans in the field”. The podcast where Merwe and I talk about life stuff, how it impacts our mental health and how we deal with it. Catch this unedited, raw, sometimes hard-hitting and always blatantly honest podcast on [Anchor.fm]( https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episodes) and [Iono.fm]( https://iono.fm/c/5738).

Please also look out for information on my book, Life Anon: A 12-step guide to life for non-addicts. You can find it by following the link from the right of my [home page]( https://freddie.org.za/). It costs R300 without postage. Order from me in my [shop]( http://www.freddieshop.co.za/).

This is Yule’s story. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I am so blessed to live a life in which I, somehow, end up getting to know some remarkable and fascinating people.

I met Mike as a result of a South African rehabilitation center seeing a gap in the market in terms of addiction treatment for people for whom engagement in chemsex have become unmanageable. David, the owner of Twin Rivers Rehab in Plettenberg Bay, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in running a chemsex programme for Twin Rivers. Obviously, due to my involvement with Sex Addicts Anonymous and cofacilitating Patrick Carnes sex addiction based treatment groups, he felt I would be a perfect fit. Part of the process of getting this group up and running, was for me to learn more about chemsex. So, in steps chemsex specialist and gay men’s addiction counsellor, Mike Power from London. Having worked in London in gay men’s health clinics and running a chemsex programme at a treatment center in Thailand, Mike was the perfect master for me to learn from.

Mike and I got along really well. I sensed a deep-seated sense of spirit in him and wanted to know what this is about. So, I asked him to chat to us and here he is.

Mike can be found on his website (https://www.gaymenaddiction-chemsexcounselling.co.uk) or email him on [email protected].

This podcast is supported by “Orangutans in the field”. The podcast where Merwe and I talk about life stuff, how it impacts our mental health and how we deal with it. Catch this unedited, raw, sometimes hard-hitting and always blatantly honest podcast on Anchor.fm and Iono.fm.

Please also look out for information on my book, Life Anon: A 12-step guide to life for non-addicts. You can find it by following the link from the right of my home page (https://www.freddie.org.za). It costs R300 without postage. Order from me in my shop (http://www.freddieshop.co.za/).

This is Mike’s story. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

I met Jurgens at the beginning of lock down 2020 in a men’s group. I felt there was something about him which I found intriguing. What it is that I found interesting, was that Jurgens works in IT, but is also a Reiki practitioner. I wanted to get to know him a bit better, so, I invited him to be our guest.

It turns out, he is a Rune Grandmaster of the Armanen runes. In 2005, he joined The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC), also known as the Rosicrucian Order. In 2019 he graduated from The Order of the Knights Runes and is now a Grandmaster. Jurgens has introduced me to concepts of spirituality which I have either only vaguely heard of or never even come across.

During our chat, he referred to the readings of GI Gurdjieff and JG Bennett and the book that changed his life is Miraculous Management by Saul Kuchinsky. I name these here because you may not hear it clearly during the conversation.

As mentioned, Jurgens is also a Reiki practitioner, as well as a Trauma/tension Release Exercise (TRE) facilitator. You can find him on his personal Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jurgens.pieterse1) or on his project Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/zeal4living) or you can also email him on [email protected].

This podcast is supported by “Orangutans in the field”. The podcast where Merwe and I talk about life stuff, how it impacts our mental health and how we deal with it. Catch this unedited, raw, sometimes hard-hitting and always blatantly honest podcast on Anchor.fm (https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episodes) and Iono.fm (https://iono.fm/c/5738).

Please also look out for information on my book, Life Anon: A 12-step guide to life for non-addicts. You can learn more about on it’s website Life Anon: http://lifeanonbook.com/ . It costs R300 without postage. Order from me in Freddie’s Shop: http://www.freddieshop.co.za/ .

This is Jurgen’s story. Sit back, relax and enjoy

Our guest today is Tia Boutlton.

I honestly cannot think of what to say as per and introduction. For me, this conversation is all about feeling and not about putting those feelings into words.

I thoroughly loved the warmth Tia brought into the field during our chat, despite the covid hardship she had to and is still enduring. It is horrific how Tia is stuck in the UK while her loved ones are here in South Africa. I recon her being stuck resonates deeply with me, being stuck in South Africa, while we are supposed to have checked into America in August last year already.

We are confronted with the horrific truth of Covid-19 around every corner, so I think the light and laughter Tia contribute to the field is just what the doctor ordered.

I love how chance meetings can lead to such meaningful meetings in this field of ours. Today is no exception.

I met Lois in a PSASA (Professional Speakers Association of South Africa) chat, where the topic was around hosting a podcast. I asked her to be our guest and she immediately agreed.

I am so happy to introduce Lois Wagner to you. Lois has a deeply personal journey which she shares with us, and I thank her for her vulnerability. I raise my hat to Lois for using her rape as a way to help others on a journey through fear, to forgiveness and ultimately freedom.

I am not going to say a lot more, because I feel her story must be heard first-hand.

Lois can be found in numerous places on the world wide web. She has two websites. One is and the other one is. The second website, Walking without skin, is also the name of Lois’ book, which is available on Amazon. Walking without skin is also the name of her Facebook page.

You can also find her on her YouTube channel as well as listen to her talk on TedEx.

Every episode of Meet me in the field that I record and put out is close to my heart and incredibly important to me. Today’s episode truly takes a special place.

I have known Mandy for about 25 years now. We have walked strange and interesting paths. From the heydays of flourishing financial markets, market crashes, marriages, divorces, my drug addiction and recovery, to her sudden onset blindness and wounding and steep road of recovery, we have been there for each other. I am aware of how difficult it is for Mandy to share this part of her life path, but we both agree it is not only a tale worth telling, but if we can, through this telling, help one person, then we have done well.

I thank Mandy from the bottom of my heart.

You can listen to Mandy’s first Meet me in the field chat here: https://www.freddie.org.za/mmitf/2018/01/11/the-buddhist.html.

We also refer to James and Pierre during our chat. You can catch my chat with James here: https://www.freddie.org.za/mmitf/2017/12/07/the-altruist.html, while my conversation with Pierre can be listen to by following this link: https://www.freddie.org.za/mmitf/2018/04/02/the-muso.html. Both truly inspirational stories and an important part in Mandy’s recovery story.

Please log on to our website: https://www.eyes2eyes.org.za/. I am not prone to begging, but when a cause is this close to my heart, I do so shamelessly. Please support our #67 Minutes Mandela Day blindfold challenge by clicking here: https://www.givengain.com/cc/67-minutes-mandela-day-blindfold-challenge/ and challenge your friends to join in and donate too. The world needs you.

Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=eyes2eyes2020 , as well as on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyes2eyes2020/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=eyes2eyes2020&src=typed_query.

It is such a pleasure to welcome Alice, from Surrey in England, to Meet me in the field. I have had the pleasure of watching Alice’s spiritual awakening and growth over the past few years and am terribly excited to share her story with you.

This young lady went from a life of alcoholism, drug addiction and anorexia, to graduating from the Royal College of Art earlier this year. She starts her Masters degree in art in September at the same institute. How awesome is that? If you want to see some of her work, please follow her on Instagram at letsgetclayful.

I need to apoligise for the sound at stages in the recording. The Zoom link between Cape Town and Surrey wasn’t too great, but we made the best of what we got.

Getting to know today’s guest is surely one of the highlights of my 2021.

I am terribly excited to introduce you to Peta Dukes. Peta is a Cranio Secral Therapist/Practitioner, whatever you choose to call her and a Recovery Coach. If you want or need trauma work done or want to know more about your inner child, Peta is your person. I really rate her knowledge and insight.

If you want to contact her, please email her on peta.dukes@gmail .com or whatsapp (only) her on 079-661-0922.

I relate with Peta on so many levels and the chat got a bit out of hand because of this, so this episode is longer than the current standard one. I am thus not going to say any more and happily introduce Peta to you.

This is the 170th episode of Meet me in the field and I am still amazed about the fantastic things that happen when I get a complete stranger behind the microphone and we start talking.

Today, I speak to yet another Insight Timer friend, this time it is Dave from Dudley in the UK.

What amazed me about this conversation is how much Dave and I have in common. We both walked a path through addiction, we meditate, we both do intermittent fasting, we do the cold shower at the end of a warm shower-thing, we both stopped eating meat and we both wrote a book. I really found these similarities between us fascinating.

Talk about Dave’s book. He wrote a book called The Awakening of Death, by David E. Jones. It is available on [Amazon]( https://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Death-Wondered-Existence-Demonstrates-ebook/dp/B08RSNS5WL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Awakening+of+Death&qid=1621330265&s=books&sr=1-1) and theawakeningofdeath is also Dave’s Instagram account. Please follow him.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Dave on his wedding this coming Saturday. I wish the couple a long and happy union.