Holding on to life’s roller coaster, keeping my face to the sunshine — Hello, and welcome to my About Me page! My name is Gill McCulloch, and I appreciate you taking the time to get to know me. My life in a nutshell — at least I’ll try I was born at a very early age and lived with my mum, dad and two sisters in a lively seaside town called Brighton on…

Substance Use Disorder is a serious illness requiring compassion and support. — “I became an addict at a very young age. I had my first drink while I was in my mother’s belly.” Through volunteer work with the Tri-Cities Overdose Community Action Team, I meet many people who struggle with substance use disorders. They have often spent time living on the streets…

They have a skill set that’s quick and easy to acquire yet priceless in value — In every workplace, there is a quiet hero. This person is not necessarily the boss with the shiny new Mercedes or the sales rep with the highest sales figures. The hero could be the janitor, the work-experience student, or the accountant. It could be you. This person has a unique…

If I can do it — you can too! — Chicken Soup for the Soul gets thousands of submissions for each of its books and only publishes 101 stories per book. It takes six months to two years after submission for a piece to be published. You’ll get $250.00 and a box of free books if they choose your story. …

My husband and I recently attended a beautiful wedding at Sheringham Point Lighthouse in Sooke, Canada. The couple chose this location as the bride was previously the lighthouse keeper. …

Weird or memorable town names may have a fascinating history — or not! — How would you feel about telling your interviewer you were from Fugging? The people of this village in Upper Austria are undoubtedly grateful to their council members, who voted to change the village name, previously spelled with a ‘ck’ in the middle. …

There are certain items you should never pack in your luggage — “So — what have we got here then?” said the airport security officer at baggage check-in, looking questioningly at Mike. Mike was standing across the conveyor belt from the officer with his open suitcase between them. The officer had pulled something out of Mike’s case and was examining it closely…

A cautionary tale about medication use — A paramedic friend of mine once attended a 911 call where he found a woman feeling faint and disoriented at home. When asked if she’d taken any medications, she replied, “Yes, just my Nitro patches.” Doctors prescribe Nitro, or Nitroglycerin, to treat chest pain or angina symptoms. Nitro is a…

Act F.A.S.T. to save a life — One in four people over the age of 25 will have a stroke. You could be one of them. What is a stroke? A stroke happens when blood stops flowing to any part of the brain, damaging cells. The outcome depends on the area affected and the extent of the damage. Time is brain Brain tissue dies…