We've decided to try a new strategy for finding more interesting material. The current feature is "Epiphany, calling or chance" http://onlineopinion.com.au/feature.asp?year=2009&month=10. We're looking for accounts of why people are doing the extraordinary, or high profile, things that they are doing. First article was by Julia Gillard, but we're looking for more.

We don't want to just have a pollies tell-all, but something which looks at extraordinary people from all walks of life. I guess I'm slanted towards vocations. So someone who founds a welfare organisation would be interesting. But then, so would someone who climbs mountains.

I often wonder about ministers of religion, particularly Catholic Priests in this age of sexuality. The one Catholic priest I am very friendly with freely admits that he is a dinosaur.

I guess we're particularly interested in dramatic changes of career. Could be the housewife who founds a successful international business, or the career exec who becomes a housewife or househusband. Or the person who throws in their day job to write a book.

Any ideas for people we could approach? Brownie points if you have contact details. And can we put our positive hats on here and acknowledge people who are interesting even if we don't agree with their point of view?

i havnt checked the link..but you must listen to lady..darn forgot her name renouf..[i think]..cant recall what she was saying but at the time it seemed to have impact[overseas yet not here]...even if just about the dress incident it would be fun...so she is on my list

i would love for john howhard to explain more about a lead ballon he dropped in the usa...something about disarming his people[an interesting side story there apparently]

but as i havnt ventured the link yet im not sure if your after..elites stories or anyones[we all got a window apparently..of 5 minutes of fame...so my thought is we put a rough in at this topic...and see if it floats

so its eptitmies...or things that can be inverse to speculations or normal result[up to and including so called miracles...or delusions...like the time i traveled instantly through time and space[twice]..or the time i got speared..[in front of ol parliment house canbera..on good friday 2002..and delivered the finantial treaty on behalf of the elders to hrh at chogm[where i was the only arrestee

or like when...naw even i have trouble believing it and i hads to live it...aNYHOW I BEEN SEARCHING FOR JULIA'S WORDS FOR A WHILE...APPARENTLY WE KEEP MISSING EACH OTHER..damm cap locs...but thats another story

anyhow cheers

'I often wonder about ministers of religion, particularly Catholic Priests...'

As do I.

Graham you might try this couple (and they might know of others), http://www.thelifechangeexperiment.com/

I've been considering the topic and wondering what impact's existing beliefs have on how we intepret epiphanies. Are certain personality types more likely to see things as an epiphany rather than a key stage in a process?

I've had a couple of significant points in my life where something has clicked and old thinking has changed dramatically but I've seen those as the cumulation of a lot of learning that I'd not previously put together (part of a chain of learing rather than as an isolated point).

I get the impression that some others might have intepreted the same points as isolated epiphanies.

R0bert

GrahamY,

Why not approach Bob Katter to do a Personal Epiphany? He seems to be a fairly colourful character from a part of Australia most don't get to see, and there's not the slightest taint of any predilection for dating inappropriately young women about him.

OLO may be able to steal a march on other social and political media if he can be made to agree, as I have a feeling he is about to become more well known for other reasons. Come to think of it now, is there any significant social and political media in Australia, apart from OLO? Other than Twitter, that is.

Bob has already started to get a bit of publicity even here on OLO.

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3050#73458

Bob's contact details can be found here:

http://www.bobkatter.com.au/emailbob.html

Alternatively, you could contact one of his staff, elise.stocker@aph.gov.au

PS

Don't worry about the brownie points.

Hi, thanks for the suggestions. Good to see a number of you here. I'd like to think we could run this more as a community combining our ideas to produce better and more challenging material. Keep the ideas coming. We'll see if we can get contributions from both Robert's and Forrest's suggestions.