I met Bruce when I first came to Brisbane. For seven years I stopped at his shop on my way home from my old job to get a magazine, or two. On my days off, I would drive there to get the paper and a bottle of wine from the shop near by. He was always there.
Bruce and I always chatted. He often left customers waiting to finish a story or to hear my story. Bruce knew more than most about cycling so we had lots to talk about. He always mentioned a brother who raced the Tour the France. I was always sceptical about it, perhaps because I was never able to get the whole story. I never felt good about that.
But it didn't matter, it was nice to talk to Bruce, to watch and learn about his work, the work of a small business operator who worked many, many hours (and at very odd hours) to get, what it seemed, very little from it. It didn't seem right to me.
Today, I am starting a project about Bruce and his work. I am hoping to learn more about his story and, perhaps, his brother's story...
