Kathy | Swanson
“I suppose, yeah, be more brave, not procrastinate as much about things that I’d like to do. Yeah, be more defined.
Well, I guess there are so many opportunities out there. There’re so many places to go and see. We all live busy lives, and we talk about, oh it would be great to do this, or shall we go there for dinner or there for lunch, or try this new experience, but I guess it’s making time to do those things, because we always seem to come up with reasons why we can’t. You know? I don’t have enough time, or I don’t have enough money.
I guess I’m 50 now, so you start thinking, you’ve got to really take these opportunities while you can, because you just never know when perhaps you might not be able to. Yeah, well think about what is truly important to you, and decide what it is you want, and make those things happen. Visualise them make a plan. Make them happen, because experiences make you a richer person. Yeah and don’t let, you know, doubt or anxiety or anything stop you. Just, just set a plan, and I think it helps you, it helps you focus. It helps you to be a stronger person anyway, if you’ve got something you focus on.
I was born in, in Te Atatū Peninsula, but I grew up mostly in Henderson, in West Auckland. So, I’ve lived in West Auckland all my life. My parents separated when I was very young; four years old. So, yeah, I lived with my mother most of the time. So, that sort of impacted a little bit on, on the way I think, I suppose. I left home when I was young; 17, couple of weeks after I turned 17. So, I’ve been pretty independent since then.
I did the OE thing when I was in my early-20s. Went around Europe for five months, and I’ve worked in, I used to work in the printing industry, pre-press, which I loved, and I’ve worked in various roles. My husband and I have been self-employed, and I’ve got two adult daughters now, 19 and 22, and been happily married for 23 years. So family is definitely my number one. That’s why it’s important to me about yeah, just my daughters and my husband are my priority, but friends play a huge role for me, too. I’ve got lots of friends, and I really value them. So, yeah people; people are really what move me, I guess.”
