Is it Me?
Authenticity is the only way my message lands with integrity. If it doesn’t sound like me, it won’t connect with anyone.
Is it True?
Truth must survive evidence, not emotion. If I can’t defend it under scrutiny, it doesn’t get written.
Is it Valuable?
People’s time matters. Everything I write must offer clarity, insight, or real-world usefulness – never noise.
ABOUT THIS PAGE
Why It Exists. What It’s For. And Who It’s Built To Serve.
This is the product of thirty years spent teaching people how to stay alive, stay informed, and stay grounded in a world that makes all three harder than they should be.
For most of my career, I’ve been the person in the room who takes complicated, jargon-heavy systems – legislation, hazards, regulations, politics, history, power structures – and translates them into plain language people can actually use.
Not theory. Not buzzwords. Practical understanding.
I’ve taught thousands of workers, students, cadets, firefighters, leaders, and curious everyday people.
I’ve broken down chemical hazards at 3 a.m., constitutional rights over coffee, and workplace disasters in the field and in boardrooms full of people who suddenly realized the stakes.
Manifesto
This is where I notice something funny, dig into it out of pure curiosity, and end up uncovering truths nobody expected – including me.
I tell the story exactly how it unfolded, humour and honesty intact, and if we learn something along the way, great… but mostly, it’s mostly because I thought it was funny.
Manifest plainness
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. I just follow a simple set of defaults that’s kept me honest across thousands of investigations, assessments, documents, and conversations. These are the tools I use to strip away noise, avoid prepackaged narratives, and get as close to the truth as a human can. No bragging – just the process.
Start With What’s Real
I strip everything back to the evidence. No spin, no assumptions, no politics. Just what’s actually in front of me and what the facts allow. Reality first, opinions second.
Unknowns Get Respect
If something isn’t clear, I don’t downplay it. I treat every unknown as the highest credible risk until the evidence proves otherwise. It’s the simplest way to stay honest and keep people safe.
Verify Before You Trust
One source isn’t enough. I cross-check every conclusion against legislation, standards, data, and real-world behaviour. Patterns matter more than statements.
Speak Plainly, Act Cleanly
I avoid jargon and theatrics. If you can’t explain something in straight language, you probably don’t understand it. Clarity builds trust; plainness keeps everyone grounded.
Portfolio
Where I’ve Been — and Where I’m Going
Five years ago?
Everything went poof.
Not metaphorically – literally. One day I could see, read, work, write, and run my life… and then overnight it all disappeared.
Vision gone. Career frozen. Identity on the shelf.
I was the guy who joked around so much that people sometimes didn’t know whether to laugh or ask if I was “okay.”
Then the disease hit and suddenly everyone was asking if I was okay.
(For the record: I wasn’t. And I also wasn’t done.)
Losing my sight didn’t just change my life –
it rewired the way I think.
When the world goes dark, you learn very quickly who you are, what matters, and which voices in your head are actually yours and which were just noise pretending to be certainty.
And in a weird twist that still pisses me off on Tuesdays?
Losing my sight gave me clarity. I was clear before, but now..
I started seeing patterns nobody talked about.
I started noticing bullshit instantly.
I started understanding people better than I ever did when I could see their faces.
And the sarcasm?
Yeah… that got sharper too.
I had to dial back the shit-talking because people kept hearing the jokes as cries for help.
But the jokes weren’t the problem –
they were the truth, just told faster.
And somewhere in all the chaos, a tiny glimmer showed up:
I might get some of my life back.
Not all at once.
Not easily.
But enough to start rebuilding.
Enough to start writing again.
Enough to launch JamesSeesIt – a place where I can follow the funny thing until it becomes the true thing.
Where I am Going
