Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

This week, the aunties weigh in on a home renovation nightmare. Listener Orla has been living in a construction zone for the last 12 months, and her patience is wearing thin with her builder mate who's been running the project. Now the final bill has arrived, Orla's reached her limit. Can they save the friendship, or is it time to cut her losses?

When you've just gone through the worst thing that's ever happened to you, the last thing you want to hear is how much you'll grow from this experience.Because in the moment you can't see past it. Yet well-meaning people keep telling you to "stay positive", when positive is the furthest thing from how you feel.But even when things are dark, hope is critical. And a lot of people who've been through something awful tell us that somewhere along the way, they find new strength. This phenomenon has a name: post-traumatic growth.It's not a diagnosis. It's not a call to ignore all the challenges you still face but it's a way of looking forward and in this episode of Life Matters you share your personal stories of post-traumatic growth. 

In Australia, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, and it's something that governments, men's health groups and communities have been working hard to change.New data suggests there's hope. The latest ABS figures show the male suicide rate has fallen to its lowest level in a decade.While there's still a lot of work to be done, it's worth talking about what we're doing right — and how we can do more of it.If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

The Eagle's Nest, a retreat built by the Nazis during World War II and frequented by Adolf Hitler, has been gutted by fire in a suspected arson attack. As the local community assesses the damage, the question of what to do with it has sparked fierce debate.Should we let nature takes its course and allow these historical sites to decay? Or is there a value in preserving them as a reminder of the past?

It might sound backwards, but the secret to staying on your feet as you get older might actually be learning how to fall. Researchers at Adelaide University have been developing a program that uses judo to teach safe falling techniques to seniors and allied health professionals in aged care. The idea is to give people the skills to hit the ground safely, minimise injuries and — hopefully — get back up again. Reducing some of the fear is key, because the way we think about our bodies affects the way we use them. So how can we maintain the confidence to keep moving well into our 70s, 80s and beyond?

Having a smartphone in your pocket has definitely made travel easier, but has it also stolen some of the magic?Are we less adventurous? Less spontaneous? Less likely to ditch the itinerary and embrace the unexpected because we can research, book and review our every move?Travel author and "serial escapist" John Ahern has travelled through more than 90 countries, and getting lost has always been part of the fun. Cat Macnaughton's love of unplanned adventure inspired a blog, and then a business, helping other families do the same.Together they're helping us rediscover the lost art of getting wonderfully lost.

If no-one ever heard Peter Garrett roar the chorus of Beds Are Burning, would it still be an Australian classic?Midnight Oil is among 10 artists who have made the inaugural National Songbook. The band came up in an era where new music was discovered through word of mouth, sweaty gigs at the uni bar and analogue curiosity.But these days, most Australian music is mediated by streaming and social platforms. And a recent report from APRA AMCOS showed that just 8.5 per cent of the music we streamed this year came from Australian artists. So if we're not finding new Australian music, how can Australian artists shape culture and enter the Songbook in 60 years' time? 

Block parties. Street libraries. Kerbside lemonade stands.These are the signs of a neighbourhood that's really alive. Places where people use their city's greatest asset each other to build community.And it's not always perfect. Sometimes the street library overflows. Sometimes the block party runs well past the time on the invite. And that's only if you've filled in the right permits, insurances and traffic management plans. But isn't a little inconvenience just the price of living in the village we all say we want?

With the holidays upcoming you may be looking at the Black Friday sales as a chance to save some coin while you do your shopping.Last year Australians spent nearly $24 billion during the two-week Black Friday sale period. So, are the sales really saving you money? And what's actually driving our purchasing decisions at this time of year?

Australians have long had a particularly creative penchant for swearing. We seem to take a strange sort of pride in our colourful language — we've even used it in tourism ads and public safety campaigns.So what's behind this cultural attachment to swear words? Is there something uniquely Australian about having foul mouth?