Brett Shearwood NSW, Are You Bogged Mate? Bogged Gallery
As an agricultural scientist, Mary O’Brien spent a lot of time on the road. Most of it talking to men in farming and agriculture.
Then Mary’s local town lost two blokes to suicide in three weeks over Christmas. She felt unequipped to help the men that were left behind, so she went looking for answers.
What she found didn’t make sense to her so she sat down to pen an opinion piece which she called, Are You Bogged Mate?
And that’s where it all began.
Mary says that mental health and depression is a bit like getting bogged.
“Sometimes we can get ourselves through those rough patches but sometimes we actually need someone to help us,” says Mary.
“It’s a little bit easier to say I’m bogged.”
We all get bogged sometimes.
It can be a bit embarrassing, even shameful, to ask for a hand when you’ve bogged two (maybe even three or four) vehicles trying to get out.
We might even be really hesitant to ask for help to get out of the mud, but we’re never hesitant to help a mate – we’ll all do something that will help a mate.
There’s lots Men’s Sheds and Are You Bogged Mate? have in common.
We know it’s important for blokes to get together, shoulder to shoulder, to connect (sometimes in silence!), to have a community of support and to have a few good mates that make it all worthwhile.
Aaron Kearney OAM sat down (virtually) with Mary to talk on connection, community and camaraderie when it comes to getting out of the mud.
If you’re feeling bogged and need some help:
Lifeline 13 11 14
MensLine 1300 78 99 78