Holding Hope for My Mates
by Justin Geange
To order copies of Holding Hope for My Mates click on the button below.
$18.00 plus postage
44 pages, 14.85 x 21cm
I was born and bred in New Zealand, to proud parents and two very patient brothers. At one stage dad was a sharemilker. I deeply enjoyed farm life for a couple of years before brucellosis (a cattle borne disease) struck dad, confining the family to city life once again.
Moving to Australia as a 17-year-old, I landed in the construction industry starting out as an apprentice plumber in the early nineties. I’m deeply grateful I married the love of my life, Marnie, and had two beautiful daughters, Tegan and Chelsea, through IVF. I’ve had many adventures along the way, including being a mascot for the Brisbane Broncos Rugby League team for 18 years and appearing on many TV reality and game shows.
After two decades in the construction industry, I had a breakdown and was diagnosed with Bipolar type two. Part of my recovery included sharing my story around Australia and New Zealand, with the hope and intent of helping others navigate their challenges.
This journey led me to volunteer with many charities like RUOK?, Movember, Roses in the Ocean, Suicide Prevention Australia and MATES in Construction, resulting in many awards and acknowledgments over the last ten plus years.
I now work for suicide prevention charity MATES in Construction. Holding Hope for our Mates was born from these experiences and my day-to-day interactions with an industry well versed in looking out for its mates.
MATES in Construction will receive 50% of all profits from the sale of Holding Hope for My Mates.
About 'Holding Hope for My Mates'
This is Justin's second book. It includes twenty of Justin's poems.
In 2019, Justin was invited to share his story on a podcast with two champions, Ed and Dan from Trademutt, a social enterprise with the aim of starting conversations about mental health and wellbeing in blue-collar industries with their signature brightly coloured work shirts. Ed and Dan had just come back from the Gympie Muster, where they were moved by the bush poetry that took place at that event. So much so they wrote a bush poem and shared it, and in response Justin wrote his very first bush poem called Why?
The encouragement he received from sharing this poem helped fuel the fire of what is now a passion, writing bush poetry and exploring other poetic genres, mostly with the mission of creating awareness around the subject matter of suicide prevention and mental health and wellbeing.
A look inside ...
Contents
Why?
My Bipolar Journey
I Am Not Defined
Tamworth
Self-Love
Plumbers
Masks
I Wish
The Flow
Hey Are You OK?
The Post
Macca
The Story Tellers
OK with Being Me
Changed by Kokoda
Trees
What Matters Most
Help Me
Buckets
Old Mate
How to purchase?
Justin will have copies of his book for sale at poetry events in South-East Queensland. The 'Order' page of his website has a button for book and postage within Australia.