Story by Corey

Cast into an ocean of violence and inhumanity that our modern world has become, I have come ashore seeking refuge in the positive stories of inspiration around me. I believe that every person, place and event has a story to tell. These stories, which are rarely recorded, usually lost to time and often misunderstood can inspire and transform us if we take the time to hear them. They are stories that can only be read when our hearts and minds are open to their messages.
CAN ONE HEALTH INSPECTOR’S STORY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
People are always asking me which restaurant is safe to eat at and want to hear gross stories about the things I see during inspections. As a result, I decided to keep a diary about the more interesting things that happen during inspections thinking I would use them for some social event in the future. As I started keeping these diaries, I soon discovered the real story was not the dirty kitchens and failed inspections but rather how the people with whom I was interacting were changing my life and visa versa. Stories about how my preconceived notions of how the world worked were being challenged by what was actually happening around me. Some of the blogs posted on this page are the abbreviated versions of the stories I am collecting.
For those who want to know about the person behind this page, I am a mild-mannered health inspector by day and public health crusader by night (well by day also!). It has been my lifelong obsession to find ways to make our planet and my community a safer, healthier place. I learned long ago that education, awareness and self-empowerment, rather than government rule-making and regulatory enforcement, were the true keys for protecting ourselves against diseases of environmental origin. That’s why I spend most of my spare time writing about environmental health issues, doing community outreach and volunteering for worthy causes.
My writing interest is primarily in the creative non-fiction area, but I spend the majority of my time in technical writing and turning complex scientific facts into easily read narratives. Unlike you folks on the fiction side, I rarely ever get to put my name on the things I write. I have written hundreds of boring environmental reports, narrative scripts for public television shows, environmental health scripts for puppet shows, speeches for local and state politicians and edited (and partially wrote) an outdoor recreational guide.
PUPPETS FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE!
A long time ago, I noticed people would listen to my puppets talk when they wouldn't give me the time of day. So, I started creating environmental health-themed puppets (and associated shows)as a public outreach tool and as my way of making a difference in the lives of children who live in the communities within which I work.
BLOGS OF ANTIQUITY
I only keep a select few of my blogs on this page. Archival material can be found at:
http://www.randomleaves.blogspot.com