Whole Stories Shortly Podcast

Beth Riungu
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Offbeat takes from a well-traveled life - every story is a fragment of the whole human story. Read for you by the author. Visit https://bethriunguwrites.substack.com for original photos, comments, and more. bethriunguwrites.substack.com

  1. 12/29/2024

    What I Learned at Gunpoint in the Somali Desert

    The first gun was leveled at us as soon as we crossed the border. It was 1986, and although the country was yet to be declared a failed state, Somalia was no backpackers’ paradise. So much of our lives depends on choices of character, faith, and tradition made by people who happen to be nearby when we need them. This story tells what I learned about death, specifically my own. Become a subscriber! Sign up for a free or paid subscription to Whole Stories Shortly for a weekly story that’s short enough to fit your schedule —and long enough for you to escape. Not ready to upgrade your subscription to paid? Show your appreciation for my work with a one-time ‘Tip of the Hat’ gift — Thank You! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    14 min

  2. 12/21/2024

    Transition and Disruption at Winter Solstice

    It’s the winter solstice and I’m high on Scottish moors, transfixed by the ever-changing light on this stormy day. It’s the weather of alerts and advisories, the season for unsettled conditions and wide-ranging disruption. This story includes a poem called For Light, by John O’Donohue. You can find it in his collected works, To Bless the Space Between Us. Become a Whoole Stories Shortly subscriber and show your support! Or show your appreciation for my work with a one-time ‘Tip of the Hat’ gift Thank You! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    7 min

  3. 12/15/2024

    The Advent Calendar of Aging

    Subscribe to Whole Stories Shortly for reads that are short and substantive, uncommon yet relatable—a reliable escape from the daily grind. (Unless the grind is for your coffee. The stories here are perfect for a beverage break.) This story begins with a picture I took at a Copenhagen art gallery last week. The fire alarm had gone off, and the Sunday crowd had evacuated in a rush leaving the white cupboard doors of the locker room randomly ajar. The numbers on the doors, the keys in the locks made me think about the years I've lived through, and those still to come. The story references my post The Genius of Bold Beginnings, so click the link to check that out. And while you're there -- sign up to become a free or paid subscriber so you don’t miss out future stories! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    8 min

  4. 12/08/2024

    Living History in My Favorite Graveyard

    Dear Listener: This story has many photos so be sure to check it out at WholeStories Shortly on Substack! Subscribe while you're there! I’m back in Copenhagen, a city of varied and famous walking opportunities. One of my favorites is a hidden gem close to where I stay when I’m here. Enjoying Whole Stories Shortly? Become a subscriber and show your support! A weekly story that’s short enough to fit your schedule — yet long enough for you to escape. Become a paid or free subscriber today and never miss a story! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    14 min

  5. 12/01/2024

    Blessed to Be Lost in the Woods

    I haven’t been able to write for the past couple of weeks. There has been an explosion, and I find myself in a landscape that makes no sense, surrounded by fragments that feel familiar yet I can’t see how to fit them back together. I seem to have lost access to my words. IEnjoying Whole Stories Shortly? Visit Whole Stories Shortly and become a subscriber to show your support! Receive a weekly story that’s short enough to fit your schedule — yet long enough for you to escape. Become a paid or free subscriber today and never miss a story! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    14 min

  6. 11/24/2024

    Born in the Space Between

    Working extra shifts as a young hospital nurse, I was making beds with an older nurse whose Jamaican-South London accent identified her as a first-generation immigrant. She asked where I was from. I described my father’s Kenyan origins and my mother’s roots in Scotland where I was born and raised. The nurse spat, “Tssh—so, you don’ belong to nobody!” It’s been forty years, yet I remember it, sharp as the slip of a knife. A story about race, migration, and belonging. Enjoying Whole Stories Shortly? Become a subscriber and show your support! Perhaps your day is ruled by your never-ending to-do list, or you simply need to tune out the news for a while. Take a break to think different and feel different with a weekly story that’s short enough to fit your schedule — yet long enough for you to escape. Visit Whole Stories Shortly to become a paid or free subscriber today and never miss a story! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    12 min

  7. 11/17/2024

    Wistful Memories from Last Fall

    I picked the last of the late summer blooms just before the first frost. Plump-cheeked dahlias and frilly, lace-cap hydrangeas. The late afternoon sun shone through them, amber and rose. The fennel flowers have lost their yellow brightness and droop dramatically next to sprigs of lavender that retain their calm composure. I try to catch their scent as I listen to the silence whispering its way under a deep, deep ocean. Enjoying Whole Stories Shortly? Become a subscriber and show your support! Visit the Whole Stories Shortly Substack to become a paid or free subscriber today and never miss a story! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    7 min

  8. 11/10/2024

    Surprising Lessons from My Kids' Military Service

    My son is taking an extended trip and the weeks before he left were a logistical whirlwind. Parents of newly-fledged adults can probably relate except my son isn’t taking a vacation. Mac is a U.S. Marine and this is his first deployment. His brother is also a Marine, and he’s stationed thousands of miles away too. It’s not what I expected from my life as an artsy, peace-loving, British transplant. What happened to make my sweet babies aspire to be like the gun-toting, camo-clad meatheads of the movies? This essay is dedicated to all the Military Moms: Wherever you are, I know whose side you’re on and I send you love. May your gods bless you kindly. 🕊️ Check out this story on the Whole Stories ShortlySubstack for some great photos and become a subscriber while you're there! Take a break to think different and feel different with a subscription to Whole Stories Shortly and a weekly story that’s short enough to fit your schedule — yet long enough for you to escape. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bethriunguwrites.substack.com

    14 min
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Offbeat takes from a well-traveled life - every story is a fragment of the whole human story. Read for you by the author. Visit https://bethriunguwrites.substack.com for original photos, comments, and more. bethriunguwrites.substack.com

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