An Interview With Robb Lloyd

Hello everybody it is Susannah here. I had the pleasure this week to be asked to choose someone from our list of members to interview. Now as soon as I looked down the list of names I knew who I would pick! - Robb LLoyd, founder of Poets United and The Real Toads.

You see, I remember way back when Robb first told me about his idea to set up Poets United. He had a real vision and sensed a community like that was needed - and he set about making it happen! I am proud to say that I joined up, and he and I were two members of the first group of four. I've been astounded since then to watch how his passion, commitment and energy made it grow.

Poets United and The Real Toads have both now become distinctive entities in their own right. Living breathing things, functioning and flourishing with the help and hard work of those that got on board fired by Robb's vision. All this was instigated by Robb's creative spark. I learned so much from watching it happen, he inspired me.

So when I got the chance to ask Robb a few questions, I was delighted and started with things I was curious about, his adventure with Poets United and The Real Toads. But I found that once I started asking questions I couldn't stop! - I hope you have as much fun reading the answers as I did asking the questions. :-)

Were you aware that you had such skill in starting things?

I don't know that I would call it a skill. It is more of an adult version of attention deficit or something. My wife for sure doesn't like it, you should see the projects I start or get her roped into. I like doing things and this "skill" appears when I am bored or lazing around. A lot of good has come from it yes, but there are scattered remnants of a lot failed instant ideas in my life. lol

Poets United has been great because of all the help I get, and we all know Toads was left for dead until Kerry revived it and gave it purpose and direction. I am like ghost there or the old guy they keep around out of respect. lol

What have you learned about yourself in the process?

I guess if you say it's a skill, I have learned that people tend to rally around and support me. Every good thing in my life, and in blogging, has been because of the people who help my visions along no matter what they are.

So, in looking back on what you achieved, what were the big surprises?

In life or in regards to the blogs? With the blogs that they have garnered so much following and support. In life that I am surrounded by such wonderful and caring people i.e. my wife. bless her heart.


What makes your pulse quicken, your heart race, your adrenaline pump. What excites you. What are your passions?

Life makes my pulse quicken. I greet everyday with a smile. It annoys my wife that I sing in the shower in the morning. I don't drink coffee or tea and don't really need caffeine. I'm happy to be alive and I don't let things get me down. My wife likes that, because I don't ever get angry and upset. That also makes me a great sounding board for many folks, so generally people tend to hang around me.

I am willing to try everything once except maybe sky diving. The wife just got back from her third jump and I wont even go watch. Some brave guy I am huh?

I love sports, writing and reading. I do not like the boring times. I need something to do, I cant just sit there. I am like a 3 year old, I gotta go go go.

Currently my passion is home brew. I love making my own beer, naming it and bottling it. We plan to start making our own wine in the spring. My passion is what ever strikes me at the moment I guess.

Do you know yourself well and find yourself easy to live with?

Yeah I would say I know myself very well. Almost to a fault.

Three words to describe you.

Funny, Confident, Creative.

A characteristic you wish you had.

I wish I was a little more calm.

A characteristic you wish you didn't!

A big mouth. Is that a characteristic? lol

Glass half full or half empty?

Depends on if I need a drink, or if its my outlook on life, lol. I am a positive guy. You could make me homeless and living in a box on the side of the road and I would hang up pictures to make it homey. As for the drink I could always use another sip. lol

I know that you have travelled extensively and that you were in the army for ten years. Where is your favourite place that you have visited?

Well, favorite is a toss up honestly. One for visiting purposes and one for living purposes. I once went to the Kwajalein Atol it is part of islands between Australia and Hawaii called the Marshall Islands. The experience was an amazing one. Crystal blue water for as far as the eye could see. When the tide went down you could watch some locals known as Reef Walkers cross over the reefs from a neighboring island a mile or two away.

Kwajalein was a very small island. The airport runway was the biggest thing there and there were maybe 3 cars on the island. Everyone rode bikes. At the end of the day all the local workers had to leave the island since it was mainly government controlled, so an alarm went off and they would go to the ferry leaving hundreds upon hundreds of bikes just laying at the port.

(Kwajalein Atol - Photo: Lonely Planet Images)

The local bar (shack on the beach) doubled as restaurant, vet clinic and sometimes eatery. I once watched a movie there that was Italian dubbed into the language the natives spoke (I cant recall what it was) with English subtitles on the bottom for me to read. At night you had to watch yourself because the crabs that came in from the sea were in the thousands. You actually had to sweep them out of your houses.

I went fishing, sailing and swimming in a wonderful tropical paradise in the middle of nowhere because Uncle Sam sent me there. It was an amazing experience, one I got to experience and abandon just shortly before a huge hurricane was to hit. I will never forget that place.

I know after that, how can I say I enjoyed someplace else more or equally but I do! The east Coast and Washington D.C. I lived there for close to five years on and off and think it's an amazing place. Once you learn where not to be, there is so much to experience.

I am a history and English major and that is what makes me love the place. There is so much to see and do in regards to history. The Smithsonian, the beginnings of America, the culture....its simply a wonderful place to explore with a perfect mass transit system to help you do it !

Do you share your life with any animals, if so please introduce us. :-)

Yes I have two animals. A 13 year tabby that I got when I was stationed in Hawaii. He is named after Humphrey Bogart (Bogey for short though my wife calls him booger) and a white boxer with one brown ear named Stoli (after the Vodka). They are both spoiled to death.

We do not want any children as we plan to travel and be adventurous for the rest of our lives and we can find better things to spend money on than diapers and college and cars. SO we spoil our pets instead, lol. Stoli was a rescue dog and can do many many tricks but he is also verry prissy for a boy. We call him our metro sexual puppy. lol

The more you write the easier it gets. True or False.

True and False it depends on the situation. Life prepares me for some things, and life throws new thing at me, all which I write about.

Pause

My mind is cluttered

The world flies by

Tampering with my emotions

Splitting reality and imagination

Dotting the past with new fresh life

As my memories haze and beige

Too fast for me to take stock

Propelling me to tomorrow

I crave a momentary pause

A chance to catch the floating perfect moments

Before they are whisked away from me

at the dizzying speeds of old age

Before I wither and grey

I want to relish

I want to take my time

Enjoying it all

Especially her

Taking a deep breath

I steady my pen

Knowing the moment I reread

What I have just wrote

The moment will also be gone

Robert Lloyd

8 November 2011

What do you think is the purpose of life?

That is my one burning question I want to have an answer to. I fear death. I want to live forever. Religion and the hereafter are huge scary topic for me. So for now, I will just agree with the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy and say that the answer to the meaning of life is 42.

Have you any long term ambitions or dreams you want to share with us?

To live a long healthy life with my wife and be happy doing it. A simple ambition and whatever comes with it I will take as the cherry on top.

My wife and I have also planned a European vacation for my 40th Birthday. A 21 day trip across Europe. But I have a side trip planned, I am going to Ireland even if for just a day and I am gonna find a true Irish pub and sit right down at the bar and order a guinness.

(I love this picture of Robb and Amber's wedding!
What wonderful colour shoes!)

Right now to finish I have one last question for you. If you could have a cartoon type super power, what would it be?

Being a comic book nerd from back in the day, I have often struggled with the question of what super power I would want. Super speed? Incredible strength? The ability to fly? The options are endless but I think I finally settled on invisibility. But only if I could turn it on and off at my own choosing. I don't want to have to suffer the tragedy of Orson Welles invisible man. I think he was the one who wrote that wasn't he?

Back to invisibility. I hope my finger prints when invisible stay invisible too because then it would be the perfect power. I could turn it on and off when I wanted. I would be a Vigilante style hero with this power. A little for me and a little for the misfortunate. An invisible Robin Hood if you may. I would steal from corporate america and give to the less fortunate while padding my pockets.

Bet you didn't expect my hugely geeky answer for that? Invisible Robb N Hood. lol - Ok dork factor over.

Thanks very much Robb for submitting to my rookie interview skills! I've really enjoyed it. It has been a real pleasure getting to know more about you. . . and if you pull off that superpower thing, could you slip some of your 'good doings' my way? ;-)

Check out Robb's great blogs -
Burdens and Smiles
Inventing Lloyd
The Migration of Words