A combination of narrative, autobiographical, and arts-based research methods was used to explore experiential learning and professional practice in diverse teaching/learning and adult education settings. The research methodology drew upon concepts developed by the following individuals: Jerome Bruner and his constructivist approach that values autobiography as a continuing reinterpretation of experience; Howard Gardner and his arguments regarding the place of narrative in effective leadership; and Margaret Meek and her thinking regarding the ubiquitous nature of stories in human culture. Drawing upon these ideas, the author traced her own personal and professional journey from her school days through her entry into the teaching profession to her professional activities in the field of workplace literacy in Australia in the 1990s. She then turned to a discussion of the "ancient metastories of the 1990s" and new stories for building alternative futures across Australia. Selected themes raised during the discussion are as follows: the idea that "fast capitalism" and the "new work order" are not new ideas after all; changing views toward learning in Australia and the view of learning as a commodity; the greatly differing attitudes and behaviors toward indigenous Australians and asylum seekers; and the potential role of literacy practitioners in cultivating, telling, and embodying stories. (Contains 73 references.) (MN)