Colin Archibald

“I needed to understand where I was from before I could begin to understand where I was going.” When Colin Archibald moved from London to Perth twenty years ago, he started to reflect on all the many journeys that had led to him having the chance to do that. Through his research, he learned more about how his ancestors were taken from Africa and forced to cross the seas to Jamaica. He reflected on how strong they must have been to survive that journey, and recognised that he was standing on the shoulders of giants. He thought about how his parents, so many years later, had crossed back over the oceans, this time to the UK, to help rebuild the nation after the second World War. And when he himself decided to move from the UK to Perth, his eyes were opened to the lessons he could learn from the experiences of his forebears.Colin is now a storyteller, facilitator, and community consultant exploring identity, culture, healing, and lived experience. He writes essays, poetry, and reflections that sit between the personal and the political, centred on voice, belonging, and purposeful living. Please enjoy this conversation about the resilience required to cross continents and learn lessons from both your ancestors and from the ghosts of your former selves. And I’d love to hear your stories too If anything in this episode inspires you to see the world a little differently or to expand your own horizons in any way, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop a note in the comments or send me a message about a story you’d like to share. Every heart-squeeze and comment makes it more likely that someone else might happen upon a conversation that could just widen their world. MUSIC: Defining Life, by Bill Conn PHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle Neeling Written and produced by Michelle Neeling Oblivious Witness is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Oblivious Witness at michelleneeling.substack.com/subscribe