: About Me

Robert Killam is a freelance writer who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Due to what his high school English teacher once called "a severe case of O.D.D." that began developing in third grade, Rob started writing creative militaristic science fiction, fantasy, drama, and a little non-fiction. By eighth grade, Rob had developed a penchant for poetry, starting with religious and patriotic themes and branching into themes about everyday life and the emotional impact we have on our fellow members of the human race.

By tenth grade, Rob had developed a knack for very eccentric, sophomoric humor, which he developed in the repeated sagas of an emaciated fellow living on the shores of no particular place. After his junior-year composition class, Rob began journaling, writing research papers (mostly on social topics like youth subcultures in America), and he opened up a new frontier with movie reviews.

Rob's fictional style has been described as both pecuiliar and mildly comedic, though his religious poetry has deeply touched the lives of the faithful abroad in every emotion and mindset. Rob's work has been published in church bulletins, read aloud for the comfort of mourners at funerals, and given advice to friends in need during some very trying times.

Rob's non-fiction work displays a solid layman's grasp of the topics at hand, as well as a guardedly open mind to new ideas, solutions, and points of view. With over four years in customer service from the fast food industry to retail, Rob's ability to interact with any person in any situation has integrated itself into his writing on controversial issues, which shows in his ability to tackle almost any subject in as much of a diplomatically neutral tone as possible.

When Rob isn't writing, he enjoys reading, conversing with friends at the local coffee shop, meeting with his fellow members in the faith for encouragement, or kicking back over a few video games. He also enjoys researching politics, social issues, music, art, world history, religious issues and topics, animal life (especially marine life), and increasing what has been jokingly called "his useless fountain of knowledge that becomes occasionally useful".

If you care to know more, Rob can be reached through the "feedback" feature linked with every article here on Helium. He'd be glad to answer almost any question or dive into any topic you may have for discussion.

My passion is ...

to improve myself as best I can and let God do the rest.

I know too much about ...

the nature of mankind and how far we are from where we should be.

My parents always told me ...

to clean my room, say my prayers, and never forget to love people where they are.

My childhood ambition ...

was to be in the military and save the damsel in distress.

My favorite memory ...

are those late nights spent over coffee and good friends.

Why I write ...

because I have something valuable to say that I believe is at least mildly interesting or beneficial.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

nothing at the moment, though I love music and film.

My first job ...

was as a receptionist for a private-practice cardiologist.

My best moment ...

is the next one.

My inspiration ...

is the hope I have that the next minute will be better than the last and if tomorrow never comes, it'll still be alright.

Society & Lifestyle > Mythology & Folklore The legend of the Flying Dutchman

4 of 5

If you have heard of Captain Jack Sparrow in relation to At World's End, chances are you have at least heard the name, "Flying Dutchman". Although the movie gives scant detail of the actual legend, it does play it out at least in part. More than just the magnificent brainchild of screenwriters and the "magicians" at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the Flying Dutchman has roots in folklore as old as the pirates themselves-perhaps much older. In keeping with "campfire ghost stories", the legend of the Flying Dutchman is one of those stories that crews might pass along during a nerve-itch...

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