“Your gifts are not about YOU, Leadership is not about YOU, your purpose is not about YOU.
A life of significance is about SERVING those who need your gifts, leadership and purpose.” Kevin Hall, Author “Aspire”
My last holiday was Raratonga, and it was a gift from mum because I completed my BA in Arts at Waikato University. It was the same year I met my partner, and I will never forget one part was my partner had his carpal tunnel surgeries on both arms. I told him that he needed to book the nurse to take the stitches out while mum and I were on holiday. Guess what he removed the stitches himself without booking a nurse. He told me that I swiftly inspected both arms where the stitches were before I got home. Both arms were clean, and no infections. Ah, Relief. From time to time, when my partner has surgeries and always insists I will do the job, dressing and checking the stitches/wounds and other issues. He recently went through many surgeries, such as a hip replacement, an updated skin graft for his neck, and a rotator tear shoulder and forearm for six months after the surgery, and twice he pulled his groin while working. His recovery programme amazed his specialists, for they accepted me as a carer in the good hands and faith where I have skills in my previous job as a Health carer.
My mother, sister, family members and friends wondering if I will firmly stay down on the ground instead of taking off for another oversea holiday around the world every two or three years. I have not been out to other countries since 2010. Out of surprise, I looked for another flatmate/boarder back in Nawton, where my second home was again. Because having a boarder/flatmate’s income helped with mortgage, food and power while I earned a single income and the cost of inflation went up and up. My partner was formerly a flatmate into our relationship in the following year. His past had been forgotten except for making the lost time with his son and his new family – grandchildren, and we met regularly by building up trusting each other and making a good foundation of a family as a fresh start. We built our trust and friendship, supporting each other, respecting each other, working as a team and understanding each other no matter our different backgrounds, even my disability as deaf at that time. Oh boy! Eleven years in our relationship and sailing smoothly with a few hiccups, we make up and move on.
The key to building trust, relationships, encouraging each other, supporting each other and many other examples in the Leadership role. No matter how hard anyone succeeds through relationships, workplaces, team building, or the Disability sectors.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” Mother Theresa
If anyone made a mistake, do apologise or change something else that works well for someone else. Do not criticise or control other people… These are harmful tools and the loss of being a leadership role. Here are a couple of the quotes – “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” ― Winston Churchill.
“Every human being is entitled to courtesy and consideration. Constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought.” ― Margaret Chase Smith.
Mm, what else I have done in the past so far? Oh yeah! I have been involved with many Disability Sectors from 1983 to the present. I am very fortunate to have mentors and several family members involved in the Political sector and the Disability sector. They encouraged me, led me the way in the right direction the path and took their pieces of advice to pass on to another person with a disability or clients. I lost several mentors/friends over the years. For example, Ron Camplin was a bank manager, Rev Edna Garner, Rev Moke Couch, Bill Morrison, Dad, Armand (Deaf Historian in France), and several more people, especially John McIntosh, recently passed away.
I am a deaf with disabilities as an Advocator for people with disabilities, D/deaf people and D/deaf people with disabilities. I am interested in improving and encouraging people with disabilities to become more equal to other people in New Zealand and other countries. Currently, People with disabilities are not equal in society to other people. We want “EQUITY” AND TO BE INCLUSION” in the community. We do not want to be left out or the forgotten people. If you are reading this bit, please consider for yourself to make our life better and do the action by removing the barriers, friendly accessible in the environment, and living on the same roof as yours. Consider yourself to make friendly design housing accessible, playground accessible, transport accessible, earn the same income as your income, and the list goes on.
Social Change: Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (nvctraining.com)
I am a deaf historian and researcher by establishing a website – Deaf History International, for the public in my spare time. I am working on two different approaches to making two books, such as classroom photo groups and the history of the Deaf units. I am currently working on creating a book – The Deaf Units in Hamilton, which I have not completed.
I bought three houses between 1983 and the current present, and the first two houses were under my name, leaving the present house under a joint name with my partner for the first time together. It was not too bad, and today, we are happy to live away from the city as I found my ground in the rural lifestyle that matches my childhood life. Our home has been a privilege for us to relax, ponder around the house and gardens, more space to allow our three dogs to run freely in the well-fenced property and away from the city of Hamilton. Ah, garden and vegetable gardens are my favourite pastime, and I have increased the size from the previous garden in 2014 to the present.
Gosh, how much I typed my chapter of the last fifty-eight years plus to leave out other memories to our hearts. Now it is time to close the chapter until another 50 years. Who knows when I will be around in the future!
Life in Eureka 