🕊️ Why I Started Bellbird Song. Real People and Stories That Matter.
A serendipitous mishap set me on the path that led to the creation of Bellbird Song.
It’s a true story: I arranged to meet a new contact to talk about a bubbling passion project of mine. But instead, I accidentally dragged a complete stranger off the street, took her out for coffee, and had an epiphany instead.
About a year ago, I began trying to figure out how to channel my energy — to combine my love of writing with my interest in people and turn it into something meaningful. (Or until I win Lotto — always plan A.) I was at a crossroads, or perhaps experiencing a midlife moment — in truth, it was probably a bit of both. But what came to me would become Bellbird Song.
☕Back to the woman I accosted on the street.
I’ve always had a rather unsubtle talent for striking up conversations with strangers. I love to find out about people and what makes them tick, in whatever time and space I happen across them. Engaging with others and collecting stories fills my metaphorical cup. Although bumping into this particular individual was a genuine accident — Officer.
While I was misreading my new acquaintance's signals, pouring out my hopes and dreams and trying to find out more about them, it struck me out of the blue — ‘this’ is what I want to do. I want to connect with people, source stories, absorb their meaning and share their sentiment. An epiphany that arrived at the same moment she politely escaped.
⬅Let me back up a notch.
Lately, I’ve been hunting for something that speaks to me. I’ve been scouring the bookshelves for something that feels meaningful and has purpose. You see, sometimes, when you’re in a new place or stage of your life and you’re trying to make sense of your surroundings, you want to find something relatable. So, I’ve been searching for kindred spirits between the pages of books, but I haven’t found the company I am looking for.
Escapism doesn’t quite fit my mood at the moment, nor does learning about someone else’s glamorous or bleak life. And, without finding stories to keep my cup full, I have inadvertently found myself edging closer to the self-help aisle. I’ve been rummaging through titles like Your One Wild and Precious Life and The Let Them Theory. To be fair, they are quite interesting (something I should probably make a note of…), but they haven’t satisfied my drive. If anything, they’ve made my cup feel bigger and emptier.
What I haven’t found amongst the discarded books (and possibly for good reason – ask me again in 12 months) is something that captures and normalises the marvellously, extraordinarily ordinary. People like you and me, going about their lives as best as they can, not making giant waves but gently bumping into the lives of others and causing the most delicate of ripples. Those ripples are by no means inconsequential. They create their share of turbulence. But, for the most part, they glide to a standstill unnoticed and peter out undocumented. I believe there is a place for documenting (and I have been craving) ordinary, relatable experiences. And that’s what Bellbird Song is all about.
⏸️Not with me yet? Hold on.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t recall the last time I read a story that wasn’t amplified for effect, to create shock, awe or desire. Multiplying these intense reactions and having them bang into one another across media can create (sometimes overwhelming) noise. For the large part, that’s fine — stories have always been embellished and provided sensational escapism. But they don’t deliver when you are seeking realistic, achievable, real-world examples, perhaps to validate or normalise everyday experiences.
While dramaticism may help the message stick, it never truly resonates in the same way an authentic account does (a grandparent’s story, for example). Have you ever been told a story that, for no reason, really stuck with you? The teller wasn’t sharing a life-changing lesson, a tale of reinvention or a death-defying event. It was just ordinary and grounded – even unremarkable on the surface – but honest and quietly resonant. How many of these stories are written down to be remembered and shared? Yet we can learn from them by identifying with them, if we don’t lose them first.
📖There are stories everywhere.
I know from my work (shameless plug incoming) that authentic communication creates real impact. Think customer testimonials – if the story comes from personal experience, it’s naturally engaging and interesting.
What I find so exciting is reflecting that everyone has a story to tell, more than one. Everyone who ever was, ever is, and ever will be has a life of experiences and anecdotes. And we can access them by engaging with others and simply having conversations – if we make time for them.
Never in history have we had so many tools to capture and share so many stories — and so little time to listen to them. It’s a conscious choice. We can put down devices and strike up a chat while we wait for a coffee if we choose to. (Or even drag someone in off the street — although, to be clear, I’m not endorsing that one.) There are people everywhere, searching to connect – and if you look up, you’ll notice them.
All of this was unfolding in my mind at the time I coffee-knapped not-Jean. I like to imagine that she was having a life-changing moment of her very own at that time, not reaching into her bag for a panic alarm. Our brief moment together in conversation created a ripple. I often wonder what she took away from it — even if it was a faint reminder not to go off with strangers.
🚪Sliding Doors moments.
Nothing monumental happened with not-Jean that day - she didn’t give me the winning Lotto numbers. But a connection with a stranger ignited a thought: how many connections do we miss simply because we don’t stop to share one? And how many engaging stories fade quietly into history, lost because no one stopped to listen? And who needed to hear the story, but never did?
All stories matter, but so many of them go untold. It’s not just the spectacular ones that should be shared, but also the everyday, relatable stories that help keep the ordinariness inside of us balanced. Not every story is destined to be a 400-page bestseller, but each experience is unique and interesting, because people are interesting. And ordinary people are extraordinary.
🐦That’s where Bellbird Song comes in.
That unexpected meeting was serendipitous—an accidental conversation at the right time led to a realisation, with meaningful results for me. That one connection helped me find what I was searching for: a sense of grounding and a purpose. It reminded me that everyday moments can quiet the noise, and authentic words, when shared, can have a real impact. That’s why I created Bellbird Song.
🧭This blog is part story-gathering project, part personal compass.
Bellbird Song is my quiet rebellion against the busy noise. It’s a place to pause, notice, and connect with what’s meaningful and authentic.
So, if you’re someone who believes stories matter and you can spare a moment, stick around. You can even subscribe below to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox.
I’ll be sharing real voices, honest reflections, and the kind of everyday moments that connect and ground us. One day, I will even tell you why I’ve named my little venture ‘Bellbird’ (spoiler alert, there’s a story behind it).
So, if you have a story to share or know of someone who might, contact me for a conversation.
👋Welcome to Bellbird Song. I’m glad you’re here.
You too, not-Jean – thank you for unknowingly becoming my inspiration.
