Occupational Identity

1. Occupational Identity
Things I do and have done that
contribute to who I have become.
Nancy Smith.

2. Dancing
I learnt to dance when
I was young and
continued through my
twenties, later
teaching 4 and 5 year
olds creative
movement. I believe
this has fuelled my
interest in exercise for
health and for finding
answers to physical
problems.

3. My first-born girls, and now a grandma
I am now a grandmother of four beautiful children,
as these two have children of their own.

4. Wedding day
Embarking on a
new journey with
Mike. I was 30 and
this was a second
marriage. I value
the role of wife
even more now. I
already had two
lovely girls and was
about to have five
more children.

5. Change
Five more children is
fulfilling, and they were
naturally the hub of my life
for so many years, and still
are of great value.
Responsibility and fun
would be my description of
this occupation.
I am seeking a new
challenge in my life and
learning to become an
occupational therapist. As
with everything else I have
done, I am working
steadily towards, and
focusing on that goal.

6. Renovating
Over 25 years, 5 of the 10 houses we bought were
in a sad state, and too small for our needs. We
were occupied with the major work of
transforming them to a home.

7. Moving house
and travelling.
17 house moves in 18
years. Or 18 in 25 years
since we married. We went
to Queensland, Australia
with a six week old baby
and no idea where we
would live. We never
holidayed, we just moved
house. We moved states 5
times, before returning
home to New Zealand. I
am adaptable.

8. Working in the Northern Territory
Being house parents with 17 children was exhausting,
but a learning experience. Reflecting later, I realised that
I really wanted to teach them to read and write, which
was another person’s role at the time.

9. Home-
educating
Home education
included book work,
building, a rural
lifestyle, pets, and
music appreciation. I
have seen the children
mature and become
independent with two
already graduated
from university.

10. Knowing God
I became a Christian in 1990. My relationship with God
is central to my identity. I have become closer to God
through the years, and through experiencing trials that
no human can control. There is a sense of belonging with
a church family.

11. Running
The need to move this body
was reawakened when, at
the age of 48, I realised that
I was becoming sedentary. I
joined a walking group a few
years later, and have
recently started to run again
at the Botanical Gardens
“Park Run”. A physical
occupation is necessary for
my physical and mental
health, and being on a
mountain or at the beach
walking, with friends or
family, is a great leisure
activity.