Hi from a newbie

[BarryRathbone]

I have been told to introduce myself. Here goes.
I am the Mt Revd Dr Barry Rathbone, Moderating Bishop and Primes inter Pares of the global Intl Community of St John the Divine (or Bishop B of the ICSJ for short) the largest interfaith collective jurisdiction on the planet, currently pastorally ministering as voluntary, non stipendiary clergy and lay ministers to over 2.5m people across every continent on earth. Hurrah!

I used to be a nurse matron in the good old British NHS but a patient falling on me and destroying my spinal cord put paid to that and any other form of meaningful employ, which is how I discovered you wonderful people some 5 years ago when spending one of my frequent flyer phases in one of 'His Majesty's open prisons ***' (aka a neuroinjury specialist treatment facility) here in the UK that a kindly, and very cute male nurse fixed me up with you guys, helping me return to my live of literature and, without affording you too much praise, it was you guys and gals that took mere from nearly ending it, feeling as useless a burden as I did, to reinvigorating myself out of my apathetic sloth and getting out into the world again.

Now, after since being 'relieved' of an abusive husband by HM Police I am restored. Yes I am still crippled and will never do a day's paid work again due to the flagrant disregard of societal demands that my disability takes.

However, as I said at my original ordination some 32 years ago, and again at my nurse training employment interview again a couple of months previously "if I can make one person's life better, even if merely for a moment, then I shall have succeeded" if my volunteering to be amongst your glittering company and aiding someone to relate to the glories of the written word, then that'll do for me.

Nice to meet you, to meet you nice.
God bless

+Barry
Mt Revd Dr Barry Rathbone

(*** forgive my gallows humour but whatever gets me through)

[lightcrystal]

Gallows humour?
You realize that you have entered the Palace of Monty Python?
Gallows humour is expected here, indeed, enforced!
Any other humour and You are sent to meet a vicious rabbit in a cave. Killer rabbit he is. Bites your head off. Don't feed him.
Then we would have to check if you were dead yet. You don't want that.
Also, avoid salmon mousse.

Pssst if you want to do your one minute test in Monty Python verse I will take all the blame for suggesting it.

[BarryRathbone]

How could you know I am potty about penguins, especially ones that carry holy hand grenades? Spooky magic poopoo at work here

[brownrottger]

Goodness! Thank you for sharing! I feel the same way about this organization. Though not having the Mt. Everest challenges you have gone through, Librivox has saved me from MUCH depression and feeling of isolation from covid fallout.

May I suggest you go here first viewforum.php?f=18 then post your one minute test and get approval (here's the link for that http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/1-Minute_Test) and THEN sign up for a chapter in one of the books you will find in the Readers Wanted thread. After your one minute test is approved, you can . sign up for a chapter in one of the books you will find in the Readers Wanted thread. I hope you will consider doing a chapter, or more, in the books listed below which you can access by clicking on the links below!
Best,
Christine