Introducing our latest Awesome Author Dionne (Drewie) Drew – The “Hard Hat Mentor”. Drewie has spent over 25 years working FIFO swings and wrote this poem recently when social media comments on almost every forum were so toxic and mean during a time when the FIFO suicides were all over the news: “When the inquiry came out etc. It made me very angry.”
Drewie has written some nerve touching and very relatable stuff recently on LinkedIn (see You know you’ve been ‘on site’ for weeks (years) when……. ) and is looking forward (as am I) to sharing more of her thoughts and experiences on this blog in the near future – you will find her posts HERE
FIFO Life Poem
To all the ‘normal’ workers who voice so loud,
How we FIFO workers are way too proud.
How we should speak up sooner to save our soul.
Who think greed and toys are our only goal.
Who judge total strangers whenever they choose.
Who have never walked a mile in our shoes.
“Just quit your job, just walk away”
“Just stop whinging, you get good pay!”
We didn’t whinge, for decades stood tough.
We didn’t ask for the spotlight to be put on us.
But now it is, it is here to stay.
Until someone, somewhere can find a way.
A way to help ease our pain, till then the fact remains,
We are not that much different from you.
We have families to look after too.
We miss their smiling eyes so much.
We miss their milestones, but more so their touch.
We are trying to find our way.
To get back home to them, and yet the bills still pay.
So until we do please give us a break.
Can you really be that heartless mate?
By Hard Hat Mentor
Drewie
‘Fly in Fly out Life’ Mentor: supporting on-site teams + Women in ‘boots’ Mentor. at Hard Hat Mentor
Latest posts by Drewie (see all)
- Something’s gotta give.. - June 28, 2023
- How was your break? - June 24, 2023
- Downturn Doin’ Your Head In? Let’s Chat…. - September 17, 2016
- Wishing our lives away.. - August 23, 2016
- Quality of Life - July 30, 2016
Drewie has worked her way up through the ranks on remote FIFO sites all over Australia and one project in Canada to date. With a career spanning 30 years, she estimates, a culminated 5 years 'off' trying the 'other life’ here and there in the hospitality and fitness industries. Her first day on a remote site was her milestone 18th birthday and she also celebrated her 21st living in a donga and blowing the candles out on the cake at the wetty. Apparently if her upcoming 50th ends up being the same scenario, that would be ok too. “Though my family may have other ideas about that”.
She is currently and shall continue working with Clive Lloyd's team at GYST Consulting where Values Based Safety - using 'The Care Factor' approach to Culture development and Authentic Leadership are front and centre.
The big news is that 'Hard Hat Mentor', Drewies’ own consultancy, is now in an exciting development phase where all energy and focus shall be channelled into two causes very close to her heart.
The first will be supporting on-site leadership/teams/work crews and individuals to thrive in the, at times, very challenging FIFO work and lifestyle. The second is to be a mentor to the gutsy 'Women in Boots' who may need a hand now and then in a male dominated arena with its own unique set of bumps in the road to navigate.
Drewie says, “One cannot spend so very long working remotely on gruelling rosters without picking up some wisdom along the way, albeit at times seemingly from osmosis alone! There are many hard won lessons we learn in such a unique environment, mine are demanding to be shared now, very loudly, they refuse to be ignored, so my new journey begins.'
Drewie has also taken her first steps to study ‘The Social Psychology of Risk’ formally and has a new skip in her step due to all the knowledge to be gained and shared in the future.
Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below