Bruce Watt, it has been an honour to know you

Yesterday an acquaintance and friend of mine passed away. Bruce Watt, I am in awe of you, I am 38 years old and can not imagine achieving the things that you have done in my own life.

I can not believe that our paths first crossed almost a decade ago when I started blogging on Australian Blogger website. What began as just a website quickly became a community as a constant group of us shared stories of our life experiences, families, hardships and world travels while other member came and went. Unfortunately this community had to come to an end due to legal action (of which I still don't fully understand) forced the closure of the site. Then five years ago Facebook put us back in contact and again the group of us were sharing the highs, lows, travels and troubles with each other like no time had passed.

Although closer in age to my grandmother than myself, I am glad to be able to call you a friend and as I read Rohan's post regarding your passing I immediately felt grief and the need to share the news with those who we had in common, Catherine in particular as you gave us both wonderful advice. You loved your boys and proudly shared their achievements as they advanced their careers and travelled the world.

Your ability and desire to adjust and adapt to technology leaves me in awe, age was never considered a barrier for you to embrace something that as a boy would have been an inconceivable dream. This proves the point that anybody can learn anything if you put your mind and heart into it.

We shared a love of AFL, you loyal to your beloved Richmond which was cemented before I was even born and my passion for Hawthorn made for many weekends jovial rivalry especially as the lowly ranking Richmond lost ... again. For the record I live in hope that your beloved Tiges win a handful for you by seasons end but especially this weekend. It would be an embarrassment if they lost to the Gold Coast when they are currently sitting 10th on the ladder with an equal win loss ratio. I promise that I will be thinking of you if the Tiges ever win the flag, God forbid.

My involvement in my local community garden in Adelaide inspired you as we shared a varying passion of gardening, while I certainly love the social aspect of our garden more than gardening I do find digging in the dirt therapeutic whereas bonsai was your passion. It was not until I began to write this blog that I discovered that the only comment ever made to my blog came from you about my garden.

It's no secret that I envied your travels,far and wide. You love your caravan capers it seemed nothing was a barrier to your travels and the trip to Turkey prior to ANZAC Day several years ago was a definite highlight. A trip that I would love to experience but alas due to health conditions international travel is the one goal that has had to come off my list.

We never did do what we joked about, travelling to Byron Bay for the Blues festival, Bruce, but a love of a variety of music was just another thing we shared.

It has been an honour to share you're your love of the Richmond Football Club, the opinions that you shared and your zest for life. Cyberspace made our friendship possible and while I have always stated my view of the afterlife as I'm going to Hell because it's less crowded if we are to met again I would like to think that we would be sharing a good yarn upon seeing a face previously only seen in photographs.

You made an impact on so many and are a true gentleman, I will miss your friendship and am thinking of your family at this time.