BRUCE = Blokes Respecting, Understanding & Caring for Each other

10/03/2026

As I fire up B.R.U.C.E for 2026, here is a recent post about my own struggles with PTSD.
And... I don't mince my words here.
This is part 1. Part 2 is up if you want to go there... part 3 (the last bit) coming soon.

A walk through why I'm the way I am. join me as I discuss the causes of my mental health issues. This is the first. look out for the second. ...

16/03/2024

The are going on about the whistle-blower re Boeing and their planes, who sadly took his own life... his PTSD, his care for the community etc....

but hey I spent years trying to get you and so many other news outlets and politicians to take a damn good look at the Patient Transport Sector in Victoria.... my PTSD meant nothing... my mental health had no meaning.... my loss of work meant bu**er all... my work meant nothing ....

Yippee...

15/03/2024

I've been a teacher/instructor now for a little under 40 years...

This is something I have shared with students at times...

Someone dies in Australia every 3.3 minutes. (approx).
The average life expectancy of Australians is 82.5 years.(slightly more for women than men). We actually have it pretty good here. Better than the US and UK where averages are lower.

Some die in the first few days of life, some live to 100 +.
None of us know how long we have.
We're all busy. We all have 'things to do'.

The night before my dear old mum died she phoned me.. I was busy... thought for a minute, 'I'll call her back tomorrow'.. then took the call and said 'hi mum'... She... 'I just wanted to see how you were going... chat.. chat.. I love you'... I love you too... talk to you soon..

We never spoke again...

I'm glad I took that call... so very glad.

My dad died at 72... his dad at a similar age..
If I follow that pattern, I have 4 years to go.
Not maudlin, just statistics.

At that rate, those folks I catch up with on say, an annual basis.... I'll only see them 4 more times.

See where I'm going? Even those I see every few weeks or months are down to maybe double digits...

Death is part of life, but we don't talk about it, don't want to know about it and hope for longevity.

If you have a long life, goodonya, well done.
If you drop tomorrow, have you done all you could to keep in touch, stop arguments, maintain contact...??? Or are you thinking you have infinite time available and will get to those people you love later.....???

Time to maybe open the doors back up, put the past in the past and hug ya friends and family.

Love ya's all... (well, lots of ya's)

20/10/2023

Happy Saturday.

31/05/2023

This is long.. it came up in my archived stuff from 4 years ago. It talks of love. I could not have imagined how tough life would become since this was written, only in the last week getting a wage.

Even my music has withered on the vine, which I drink from too often.

I spent years advocating for change and fighting for support within the NEPT sector of Ambulance. I miss the work and people constantly .. and wonder if it's improved.....

Off you go... let me know your thoughts.

First a story from Nightshift.... a memory.. while listening to Shane Howard this morning..

Over here in Melbourne, Australia the temp is dropping with winter arriving on the doorstep.

Apart from my musical endeavours, less now that I'm in my 60's, the work I've done for 36 years has been in ambulances, training or Rescue work of one form or another.

Last night ferrying an old couple home to their little old house in the hills after a short hospital stay, with him having some heart problem and his darling, 83yo partner too demented to be left home alone; she'd been in hospital with him for a couple of days.... they sat in the back holding hands...

We arrived at a cold, dark, little house; in the rain with the temp at 4°C. Struggled to keep them dry getting inside from a wet, dirt driveway while he got inside, best he could, then got a fire going. Pot of tea, like an old billy, on the stove. He said.... Thank you boys.. I'll look after her....

'And the love that was more than the clothes that they wore could be seen in the gleam of their eyes...' 💔

In 4 weeks time I finish up this work... forever.. not by choice... I'm being retrenched... this little story of mine from a couple of years back puts in a nutshell why I do this job.

For the past 3 years (and for the next few weeks) a Clinical Instructor for the Royal Flying Doctors.. I have been training Ambulance Attendants and Patient Transport Officers... working the streets of Melbourne and the roads of Victoria. I have 11 qualifications.

I have tried to tell you.. the government.. the media.. the Union.. and Ambulance Victoria... just how flawed the system is..

This current government got in on the shoulders of Ambos, but fails constantly to acknowledge that Ambos often ride on the shoulders of Non Emergency Patient Transport workers, carrying an enormous amount of the load... First responders often when you call for an ambulance....

I am saddened beyond words to be finishing up. Having been made redundant 3 other times by the closure or loss of work to other Patient Transport companies, this is the last time.

It's insane, what's happening... 20 years I've been challenging management to fix this. 20 years..... now I'm done..

Victoria, you deserve better . NEPT workers, you deserve better... the problem of course is that management of patient transport companies will not acknowledge that you are Ambos... the forced casual work makes you unstable and frightened to speak up.. so you continue to be put on the front line for 2 thirds of an Ambos pay.. with little gear, limited training and bullying from above..

Because whereas Ambulance Paramedical work is all about patient care, Ambulance Non Emergency work is all about profit...

I always remember one of the radio controllers from one NEPT Co. saying; "I'll get you to drop THAT one off and then pick up this one".... The old patient said... 'Am I THAT? A parcel? '..

And as I finish up this little missive I'm listening to Shane sing 'Grief's a Lonely Thing'..
Step by step I just keep on walking on and the sun will set to rise again.. memory is everywhere....

24/11/2020

Topic: G'day B.R.U.C.E. and G.R.A.C.E. Let's talk
Time: Nov 26, 2020 07:30 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
Topic… Sunset or Sunrise? What’s your preference?
What’s the difference?
Does either affect you? Make you think? Make you cry?
The end of the day? Or the beginning?
The future, or the past?
Let’s talk….
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 915 9957 3775
Passcode: 696590
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Meeting ID: 915 9957 3775
Passcode: 696590
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adNMBFZtEF

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23/09/2020

Join in tomorrow, Thursday for the regular B.R.U.C.E and G.R.A.C.E night.
7.30pm
Zoom ID - 976 7055 2305
Passcode - 061489

16/09/2020

G'day B.R.U.C.E and G.R.A.C.E ... happy hump day.
Tomorrow, Thursday 17th join us at 7.30pm as we explore that famous Bugs Bunny line..... 'Maybe I SHOULDA turned left at Albuquerque!'..
The Alice down the rabbit hole journey . ... That moment when a right turn made all the difference... maybe good, maybe bad.. anyway.. let's see where we end up..
Zoom code is
985 2995 5650
Passcode
760929
Let's talk..

09/09/2020

G'day B.R.U.C.E and G.R.A.C.E... tomorrow night at 7.30pm join us as we revisit a topic which generated a lot of laughter.. plus some soul searching when the B.R.U.C.E camp opened the can..

Tomorrow we'll have a mixed bag...

This Thursday we discuss...

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN....

Billy will be throwing in some Bloke perspective, while Kelly will add, contradict, elucidate the alternatives. You'll join in the conversation, which is what it's all about... It'll be a fun night for all. We may not make it out alive.
Meeting ID
992 0078 1117
Passcode
956488

Bring ya helmets and swords...

25/08/2020

William Dettmer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: William Dettmer's Zoom Meeting
Time: Aug 27, 2020 07:30 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 994 8165 0311
Passcode: 204095
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Meeting ID: 994 8165 0311
Passcode: 204095
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13/08/2020

7.30 online tonight for a Zoom gathering...
Meeting ID
951 4937 9334
Passcode
354271