In this episode, we meet 93-year-old Bill Fox Taylor, who lives with vascular dementia. Bill has good days and bad, but on the day we recorded this conversation, he was alert, talkative and ready to share memories from an extraordinary life.

Bill takes us back to his childhood in England during the 1930s and 1940s, including his memories of World War II and German planes bombing a small pond near his home, this was exciting for Bill because when it rained the pond was bigger. He recalls his time in the British Air Force in Egypt, where he served as a motor mechanic, the many jobs he had throughout his life, and his move to New Zealand at just 21 years old.

In 1966, Bill illustrated and published a book about Māori architecture called The Māori Builds. He later moved to Australia in the 1980s, where he eventually became a full-time artist and met his wife, Hellie who is 30 years younger than Bill and is now his carer.

Bill also speaks openly about living with dementia—what he can no longer do, the challenges he faces, and why he chooses to focus on the things he still can do.

This is Bill's story, in his own words.

In the very first episode of The Conversation Today, I talk with Stephanie, who grew up in a small town in California.

Stephanie shares the heartbreaking story of losing her 15-year-old sister in a car accident when she was just six years old, before she was even old enough to fully understand what death meant.

She also opens up about some of the other challenges she has faced throughout her life, including depression, anxiety, an abusive relationship, and a devastating accident in her twenties when she was struck by a car.

The accident left Stephanie with a brain injury affecting her memory, cognition and executive functioning. She talks honestly about the physical and psychological therapy she went through during her recovery and the strategies she now uses to manage everyday life, including lists and other practical workarounds.

Despite everything she has experienced, Stephanie's warmth, determination and resilience shine through in this remarkable conversation.

This is a story of loss, grief, recovery and resilience and of what the human mind, body and spirit can endure.

Jason Devonshire