Back in the days before computers were personal and phones were smart, I was a computer programmer, bashing code onto unnumbered punched cards in a computer-free building. Miles away, near the centre of New Zealand's capital city, sat the Government Computer Centre which turned those cards into functional programs. Sometimes. Success was a small lineflow printout. Failure was a three-foot high core dump.
​
I loved programming, especially the process of breaking down a problem into its component parts. That appealed to my analytical nature but there was also a creative component which balanced it and gave me the joy of creating something out of nothing. I loved the way the world fell away when I was coding – it was interesting, mentally stimulating, and absorbing. Sometimes I still yearn for that propeller hat.
Somehow, twenty-five years and nearly as many computer upgrades later, I became a funeral director. I found it really rewarding to help people navigate through losing someone they love. And again there was a creative component – incorporating into a funeral service the special touches that tell a person’s story. An element of “problem-solving” there too – bringing together all the parts to create the whole – identifying the venue, the time, the celebrant, and the stories to be told. Working out how to get there from here.
Opportunity opened two more doors to creativity - writing and public speaking - with funeral celebrancy blending both, and drawing on my years of funeral industry experience. In 2022 I was engaged by the Open Polytechnic as a Subject Matter Expert, to write courses for the Level 5 Diploma in Funeral Directing. An incredibly rewarding role which led to more opportunities: Matauranga Maori reviews, and Adjunct marking.​
​
2023 saw me back at the helm for the General Election, managing the vast East Coast electorate for my third tour of duty in that role.
​
In my spare time (ha!) I love to read, write and make jewellery - check out Articles for information and kayree jewellery for sparkly things.