Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface
Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface
Alex Melia

Stories of Men: Beneath the Surface

How ToEducationPersonal JournalsEnglish
Traditional ideas of masculinity are dead, and now men struggle to find their place in the world. In Stories of Men, Alex Melia speaks to men who’ve overcome challenging circumstances to find out what they’ve learned about being a man in today’s world. Each guest shares a story from their life that has had a big impact on them.

Alex Melia is a businessman and podcaster from Atherton, Greater Manchester. He has built a business which now employs over 30 people. Ten years in, and the company sustains him without his involvement. He now travels the world on a mission to uncover what it means to live an independent and meaningful life.

This podcast was previously Our Voices.
The moment a man decided life was worth living again
03 December 2024

The moment a man decided life was worth living again

Luke was at a party with his girlfriend surrounded by his closest friends. He was smiling and laughing and appeared to be having a great time. But, after this moment of celebration, it was his intention to say goodbye. Nobody else knew it but he wanted to take his life that same night.Before taking his life, Luke is driven to make a phone call to a man who he hadn’t spoken to in a long time. He...
How to confront violent people when they almost killed your father
26 November 2024

How to confront violent people when they almost killed your father

Daniel Collins was a slight 18-year-old boy who was travelling around the country clamping cars. He hated the job but his father seemed to relish it. One day, they clamped the car of a man that showed up with confrontation in his mind. The man was with 14 of his friends and started to scream and shout. In a split second, the whole situation turned violent and Daniel made a mistake that put his...
Can your dream job kill you?
19 November 2024

Can your dream job kill you?

William was 21 years old and working on a superyacht travelling from Malta to the Maldives. He was living a young man’s fantasy, the life he’d dreamed of since being a young boy.His shift had just come to an end when the shrill ringing of the fire alarm went off. Will’s first response was irritation at having to perform another drill; that was until he saw his Chief Officer running on-deck in his...
When a dreaded hangover can have nasty effects you didn’t expect
12 November 2024

When a dreaded hangover can have nasty effects you didn’t expect

Ross was the life and soul of the party. Working as a national radio presenter, he was able to hang out with the rich and famous at awards ceremonies and red carpet events. But he was hiding a secret: his struggle with social anxiety.For years Ross had attempted to deal with his anxiety by masking it with alcohol, but he knew that this was only going to cause him deeper problems in the end. This...
Growing up without a father: what type of man do you become?
05 November 2024

Growing up without a father: what type of man do you become?

It was a day out with the family. Despite not knowing where they were going, Paul and his brother were extremely excited to be taken out by their relatives; they didn’t usually get taken out at all. Like two “coiled springs” they leaped out of the car as soon as it pulled up. Soon after they were bundled into a Victorian, stone building. They marched up the steps, excited about what they would...
What we think about when we think about dying
29 October 2024

What we think about when we think about dying

He was lying in bed, restless, in a fever, struggling to catch his breath. He was shivering one moment and then attempting to kick off his duvet the next.He saw a woman coming through the door. She switched on the light. It made him feel confused, anxious. The expression on her face was grave. She told him that what she saw in front of her was a pale, old, withered man. She was worried that he...
Don't ignore your body's signals - It might just save your life
22 October 2024

Don't ignore your body's signals - It might just save your life

Darren openly discusses the plethora of negative feelings that contributed to his emotional breakdown on his way to work. He was working in finance. It was an industry that had provided him with the good life. However, he knew that something deep down was not right. He had been drinking too much and struggling to sleep at night. All of this came to a head on one fateful morning. “I physically...
You'll stop complaining about your life after you hear this man's story
15 October 2024

You'll stop complaining about your life after you hear this man's story

The air was so chillingly cold that he could feel it in his bones. The billowing and the roaring around him was so loud that he was unable to hear. As he stood there waiting for the inevitable, his nerves prevented him from being able to speak. He had travelled thousands of miles for this moment and there was no question of turning back now.Isaac is a man who is used to taking on challenges. As...
How a man's excessive focus on work almost ruined his marriage
08 October 2024

How a man's excessive focus on work almost ruined his marriage

For David, the dream was just beginning. He and his wife were in their early 20s and had just moved from Canada to Switzerland to start a new adventure.At work, David was also having the time of his life. At the end of one of his first projects, he went to lunch with a client. The restaurant boasted breath-taking views and the client treated him to the finest wine he had ever tasted. He bounded...
The decision that still haunts this man 30 years later
01 October 2024

The decision that still haunts this man 30 years later

It was Cup Final day against the school’s most fierce rivals. Andy was 12 years old and nervously waiting to hear if he would be included in the team. He looked to his dad watching from the sidelines, hoping his name would be announced. Finally, the team was revealed and Andy would be playing in defence.The game kicks off. In the first minute the opposition start to attack. Andy looks on as the...