In today's episode, I am joined by my friend Crystal Kean. 

Crystal lives on Vancouver Island, in the Oceanside area. She's a homeschooler and an established educator, owning and operating a small business that facilitates both in-classroom and outdoor education programs for children. We touched on a lot of topics, from raising her children, why she decided early on to keep them out of the public school system, the issues plaguing the institution of education, what she sees and deals with regularly in her classes, and the psychological struggles therein that adversely affect teachers, children and parents.

She offers insights and suggestions, solutions, and guidance for parents who are considering homeschooling, or finding support on the journey outside the system that seems to be failing our children.

Thanks for stopping by. Let's get to it...


Topics covered:

Growing up in small-town, rural Alberta
Venturing away from home
Family road trips across Canada, US, Mexico
What's happening to California?
How she got into education (10:35)
Raising babies in a cute little town
Struggle with sending kinds to public school
Finding alternative education options for her children (15:14)
Dealing with backlash from friends, family, strangers
Respecting autonomy (24:44)
When your child comes into their own
Her older kids regroup and travel together (30:54)
The system fragments families (32:49)
Mental health of teens
Talk to your kids
Not a fan of public schooling system - damaged kids
Who advocates for the parents? (40:10)
Post-Covid psychological and emotional fallout
The system is the problem (46:22)
Working with kids coming out of the system
Unschooling / deschooling
Sleep deprived kids
Don't force a four-year-old to read
Neuro-irregularities on the increase (56:59)
Negative effects of screens and technology
Kids living in alternate realities (1:00:57)
Struggling with autonomy, boredom
Her school Under The Arch (1:04:59)
Relocating to Vancouver Island, single parenting
Starting up a small school
Providing support for parents (1:08:40)
Homeschool enrichment as well as outdoor education component
Waldorf-based and natural science
Using both sides of your brain and body
Social conditioning
Parental power is important
You have to stand up; facing backlash from the system (1:18:53)
Time is precious
Make sacrifices for your children
Parents aren't welcome in schools
Teachers are people; they have life challenges as well (1:23:55)
Anxiety is at an all-time high
Social media influencers; no life is perfect
Stepping into the role of educator for your children (1:27:48)
Finding support locally - Facebook groups
The homestead movement; simplify and get grounded

Guest links
https://www.underthearchoutdoor.com
https://www.facebook.com/underthearche
https://www.instagram.com/under_thearch

Connect
https://tranceblackman.com
https://tranceblackman.substack.com
https://twitter.com/tranceblackman
https://instagram.com/tranceblackman
https://instagram.com/sapientiawithtb

Support, Donate, Subscribe
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https://paypal.me/tranceblackman

Trance's Music
https://youtube.com/tranceblackman
http://music.tranceblackman.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/trance-blackman/18749611
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4x4UQFPIPTownfIe0cAevK

For today's episode, I am joined by my good friend James Blonde.

James has a led a fascinating and full life, never backing away from challenges and taking crazy risks. Even after breaking his back, an injury that would permanently sideline most people, he persevered, overcame, and continues to push himself to stay active, creative, and making some noise. We touched on everything from his childhood in England, to coming back time and again to Canada, and eventually moving here permanently to build a new life while rebuilding his body. Family, careers, martial arts, working security on tour with The Police in the early '80s, practically inventing reality TV in the UK, his early career in fashion and photography, and how all of his challenges continue to shape and inform his journey.

(01:13) Part 1
Growing up in the England
A ballerina meets a serviceman in Paris
Dad becomes an artist for life
Out-earning dad at 12 years old
Taking up martial arts, tai chi and karate
Learning discipline and self-control
Training for Olympics, 1980 boycott
Working as a bouncer at 17
Became an arborist
Meeting his first wife
Moved in and embraced the whole family as his own
Being mistaken for celebs all the time
The Ramones, The Clash, early punk rockers
First band – Wireless
Getting hired as security for The Police
Internal battles of the band
Being on tour with the biggest band in the world
Never smoked or did any drugs
Back to Montreal with The Police
The Ghost in The Machine
Logistics of protecting the talent on tour
October 1987 hurricane in England
The science of being an arborist
Getting trapped up a tree in the storm
Ground beef
Fixing up old Land Rovers
Lucrative license plates
4x4 adventures
Mother's battle with cancer
Operating a ski hill
Ski trips around the world
Back to England to change directions...

(59:47) Part 2
Living in the home of King Leopold II
Climb up a hill, come down with a mission
Be alone in nature, find your purpose
Off-road adventure challenge
Hitting up sponsors, entering the business world
Learning to think big
Speaking to OPEC, a crash course
Starting a 4x4 school
Mapping out the challenge course
Inventing the 4x4 train tow system
All-wheel-drive club
Satellite TV sales
Catching a crook
Back up a hill...
Parapont, parasailing
Getting into real police work
Training your mind to let things go
Moving into Special Investigations Branch
Youngest commander, perfect conviction record
Using your brains and your brawn
Breaking his back; two disks blown
Can't work, chronic pain, move to Whistler

(2:06:31) Part 3
Setting up a photography studio
Being of service to society being in SIB
Prison programs for car thieves
Up a tree for a week-long stakeout
Advanced training in SIB/SAS
Model agency and commercial photography
Moving into video and television
Getting creative in marketing campaigns
Moving to Canada
Working with German national lottery
$1000 cigars

(2:31:57) Part 4
Divorced, settling in to a new life
Dystrophy in the legs, intense pain
Multiple doctors, many pain meds
Staying active even with pain
Recovery after back surgery
Keeping your head while in constant pain
Nobody is going to do it for you

Guest links
https://vxraw.com
https://instagram.com/jamesblonde64

Connect with Trance
https://tranceblackman.com
https://instagram.com/tranceblackman
https://instagram.com/sapientiawithtb

Support
https://buzzsprout.com/2148798/support
https://buymeacoffee.com/trance
https://paypal.me/tranceblackman

Sapientia is a podcast about seeking truth, and finding wisdom. The show features interviews with creative, industrious, interesting, and inspiring people from all walks of life. What will be your legacy?

- - -

For today's episode, I'm joined by my good friend, whom I've known for most of my life, Jeremy Hoemsen.

He's lives on Vancouver Island, in Canada, teaches kung fu, he and his wife Stana have built a beautiful home together, grow a lot of their own food, and keep themselves quite busy improving upon their self-reliance in the rural area of East Sooke, on the south end of the island.

We touched on a lot of topics today, and I'll have to have him back again soon to talk more about the specifics of life at the homestead, his active support of veterans, and other things we didn't have time for today. We discussed the beginnings of our friendship, how life has changed throughout the decades, and went into some of the perhaps controversial issues of our time, through the lenses of philosophy, psychology, sociology, politics, and more.

Thanks for stopping by. Let's get to it...

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Topics discussed:

School days of the past
Drag queen story time
Gay Pride and identity politics
What's the end goal?
Why can't we debate or discuss anything like adults?
Polarized society
Leslyn Lewis - Canadian politics
Psychology study at UBC
Sociology vs psychology
Martial arts perspective
Virtue signaling politicians
Behavioral science
2018 West Point ex-CIA psyops program
Programming people while they're asleep
Human drones
Local and global politics, collusion, interference
Times have changed
Staying informed/educated
Dependence on technology
Connect and disconnect
Going local - building a network at home
Accidentally meeting your next door neighbor

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Guest links:
https://wingchunpunchclub.com/
https://veterans4freedom.ca/

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Follow, Read, Connect 
https://tranceblackman.com
https://tranceblackman.substack.com/
https://twitter.com/tranceblackman
https://www.instagram.com/tranceblackman/

Support, Donate, Subscribe
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2148798/support
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/trance
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Listen to Trance Blackman's Music
https://youtube.com/tranceblackman
http://music.tranceblackman.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/trance-blackman/18749611
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4x4UQFPIPTownfIe0cAevK