Tena koe, I get asked quite often to write a book about ‘my interesting life’ usually as a result of something outrageous that I’ve posted on Facebook. It’s very touching that anyone would suggest this and, while I don’t consider myself to be a writer, I do write all the time, so I’ve girded my […]
Month: January 2026
Overview
A lot of my friends write reflective summaries of the past year so I thought I would too. Overall In some ways 2024 was a crappy year for many of us. It was OK for me as long as I ignore the dire political situation – which, of course, I can’t. Well, not entirely. The […]
Being a survivor – The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
Kāti rā, ā te tākiritanga mai o te ata, ā te huanga ake o te awatea, kia tau he māramatanga, kia ū ko te pai, kia mau ko te tika. Koinei ko te tangi a te ngākau e Rongo, tūturu ōwhiti whakamaua kia tina, tina! Hui e, tāiki e! (And so, as dawn rises, and […]
Getting old(er)
I put ageing in both sections because it’s a double-edged sword. It’s a positive, and I’m really enjoying getting old, despite the challenges that are associated with it, mostly relating to health. The upside for me has been the realisation that, in my 80th year, I need to revisit my life plan, because should I […]
My wonderful life
The older I get the more inclined I am to see the past in a new light. It’s rather like seeing all the things that have happened to me so far as being happenings on a long, bright summer’s day with no night. Well, perhaps just a little night. It’s fair to say that I […]
The Theatre
2024 was a good year for the theatre, the theatre in me and even me in the theatre. Just a tiny wee bit of me in the theatre It’s a garbage misquote (by me) from the wonderful Raymond Hawthorne (‘love the theatre in you, not you in the theatre) who had most probably borrowed it […]
Karate
I found karate later in life – at age 60 – which is not to say I hadn’t had opportunities earlier. I had, but training in what I saw as some obscure Japanese martial art never featured in my list of priorities. There was always rugby, cricket, girls, and work … More fool me. It’s […]
The Seido Karate Rainbow Class
In the middle of the year, Senpai Vivian from Auckland Seido Karate Morningside, one of this country’s most committed and capable Rainbow allies and a good friend, organised a beginner’s class for rainbow identifying and rainbow allied people who wanted to give this karate thing a go. We started our karate journey at Morningside and […]
Surgery
In 2024, I had my standard bout of surgery, in this case, a new left hip. I already have an artificial right hip, a metal left knee, and a ‘piano wire’ joined Achilles tendon. This new surgery was scheduled for six months ago but, being sick of taking pills, I’d made the unilateral decision to […]
University of Auckland IDEA Brain Study
We had a couple of young people come to our door and ask whether there were any ancient people, antiquaries almost, geriatrics, in the house. Cushla said yes, as apparently, I qualify. The two young people were academics from the University of Auckland who introduced me to a major study that was being undertaken through […]
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