David | Aongatete, Waikato

“I’ve never really found much in the way of challenge in my life, really. I’ve had a fairly easy life. I’ve always done things for myself. I’ve never really had much in the way of financial assistance, or anything like that.

Everything I own, I’ve done it myself. I’ve sort of worked since I was about 12 years old, delivering newspapers, all that sort of thing. Cleaning shop windows, and when I was at school, I used to have a part-time job, and here I am, 77 and I’m still doing it.

Most things have fallen into place, I guess you’d say. I’ve had good health. I think that’s probably one of the best things, is your health. I don’t feel my age. Silly, eh. Some people think at my age you shouldn’t be working, but I just do. I can’t give it up.

When my parents died, that was fairly upsetting at the time, because they died relatively young, but no. I’ve had a pretty good life.

It made me appreciate how short life is, and because my father got Leukaemia and died within a year of being diagnosed. Then my mother died in her sleep about two years later, and they were both only in their sixties. So, I sort of count myself lucky that I’ve got to where I am, and I’ve had no health issues at all, myself. I’ve got a couple of grown-up daughters. One in Singapore. One in Melbourne. Now that is a bit of a challenge, I guess, because we were going over to visit her, but we can’t now.

I was born in Remuera in Auckland. I went to Ōtahuhu College out in South Auckland, they call it now. To me, it wasn’t South Auckland. It was just Auckland. I grew up in that area, and I just did the normal thing. Left school, went and got a job, worked ever since. Travelled a bit overseas. That’s my life.”