(Not so) Random follow #100 - the girl with The Rolling Stone's tattoo

As you live your life there are many, many people with whom you will cross paths.  Some people will make additions to you while others subtract.  Many people will pass through and pass by without you noticing them.  Today's person is someone who has been an addition.

Jaarna is a beautiful young lady whom I have known for a few years.  She first came to us from Tauranga and took up a position within the creative school administration team (also known as CTC).  It didn't take her very long to make an impact on people.  Not that she was loud or overbearing or any of those things.  Rather she went about her work in a constructive, methodical and clear headed way.

Jaarna is a people person.  She is a person who when she smiles and laughs can light up a room.  She has the ability to turn a dreary dull day into one full of love, fun and creativity.  She also has an exceptional sense of humor mainly due to her upbringing in Opotiki.  So its not exactly refined in a posh, private school manner.  More like a down at the pub raucous night out kind of sense of humor.

She is also a very open and loving person.  She accepts anyone and everyone into her life.  There has been the odd time when people have taken advantage of that but Jaarna is a quick learner.  And she can also see through the bullshit.  If you bring to her a heap of dung wrapped up in fancy paper - she knows and can very quickly figure out your lies and crap.

Anyway.  Jaarna is also a lover of tattoos.  And she has two distinctive one's that I know of.  The first is the Rolling Stone's symbol which is emblazoned in full color on the top of one of her feet.  She wears it proudly. And it is quite a remarkable thing.  I was caught completely unawares when I saw it for the first time and had to do both a double and triple take to recognise just what it was.  She also has angels wings on her back.  And this one I believe is a very true representation of her.  She has such a kind and gentle nature about her that to say she is an angel would be a very fair description.

It was just a few years ago that Jaarna, after going through a particularly tough patch, found the woman of her dreams.  I would often catch up with her and ask how it was going and Jaarna would gush and tell me about this amazing lady she had met would had completely swept her off her feet.  As Hayley lived in Wellington and we were in Rotorua there were many discussions on the best and most efficient ways of heading south.  (I think in Jaarna's mind the fastest way possible was the only way!!!)

Jaarna left us and moved south to live with her fine partner.  Life had definitely turned a corner and things were coming together very, very nicely.  A new job, a new career, love abounding - everything was going well.

Until.  Until the day she was told she had cancer.  Not terminal at that stage but cancer nonetheless.  And so began the treatments.  The day in and day out of therapy, feeling ill, hair loss, constant fatigue and the throwing up.  If there is no other message that you take away from this post let it be that Jaarna is a fighter and a survivor.  And its been the love, support and sheer determination  of both Hayley and her family and friends that has helped Jaarna with her fight.

And with the support of her work colleagues and family they thought up a fundraising campaign to help cover the costs of day to day living.  Not being able to work meant that there was a huge financial hole created.  So Shelley and Janet (some of Jaarna's very best friends) thought up the idea of FLAG day.

F = Fight

L = Like

A = A

G = Girl  

FLAG day was a super dooper fundraiser that was HUGE.  Unfortunately Jaarna wasn't able to be there due to the timing of her treatments but she joined the festivities virtually.

Without a doubt one of the happiest days of Jaarna's life was when her and Hayley became civil partners.  When Hayley came into Jaarna's life it was like night and day.  A bubbly, happy, resilient spirit welled up within her and started bubbling over so that all who knew them couldn't but become infected with the love and devotion they have for each other.  And it may very well be that they may be able to get married this year too.  But there are other factors in play that may or may not see that happen.

So whats happening now?  In short Jaarna has been told that cancer has returned and this time it will bring her life to a close.  Sooner rather than later.  And so I write this post not because I am looking for sympathy as a friend.  But rather as a way to acknowledge a very special, beautiful, lovely young lady for whom I have ALL THE LOVE AND RESPECT in the world for.  I am proud to say she is my friend.  And she will ALWAYS hold a very special place within my heart.

This not an obituary or meant to be dark.  Rather my intention is to tell you all about a very special lady who I am proud to say is my friend.  Often times we leave the things we should say to people until after they have gone.  And so in this post I am wanting to say all the things that I want to.  Hopefully I have been able to do that above.

You won't find Jaarna on twitter.  You probably won't find her on Facebook either.  And you definitely  won't be able to find her in Wellington.  Where you will find her is spending time with the most special people in the world in the most special place in the world to her.

My final thoughts -

Life is precious.  Love all the people.  Say all the things you need to say today.

Jaarna Holly Renee' Hoskins passed away on the 22nd of June, 2013. Farewell dear friend.

Random follow #98 - @DFSAKNZ

Charities are using social media more and more these days and rightly so. It is a great of making themselves known to people who may not otherwise hear about them. @DFSAKNZ is one charity doing just that. Dress for success is a not for profit organisation which provides interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide, and @DFSAKNZ is the Twitter account for the Auckland branch.

Their Twitter bio reads:

"The mission of Dress for Success Auckland is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support"

I, personally, like that. It speaks volumes to me. They don’t just provide clothing to these women and send them on their way, they also provide a network of support. And that support can make all the difference in the lives of the women who use Dress for Success.

But what would a not for profit possibly have to tweet about, you may well ask?? Well, lots. Their timeline is filled with lots of feel good quotes like these for example:

"Dream and give yourself permission to envision a You that you choose to be. Joy Page #quote #dressforsuccess"

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt #quote #dressforsuccess"

They also tweet pictures and stories about those who volunteer for them and will more than likely tweet you back if you tweet them. 

There is not much more I can say about @DFSAKNZ, except that if you choose to follow them, your timeline will be much brighter for it, hopefully you will learn something and I am sure a tweet or two will put a smile on your face. Oh and Ladies, if you need to clear out your wardrobe, but don’t know what to do with your excess, Dress for Success are always looking for clothing donations. Tweet them to find out how you can do this.

Now, I am going to leave you with my favorite quote from their timeline:

"It was only a sunny smile, & little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night & made the day worth living. #quote"

Did that put a smile on your face? I know it did mine.

(This post is bought to you by the very lovely and uber talented @pammygirl)

Random follow #79 - @brig_be

"Home after an overnight trip to Auckland. Exhausted. I am a small town girl!"

Often times there is no better way to talk about someone or describe who they are than by the person being able to do it themselves.  @brig_be is exactly one of those people.  If I can apply the old cliche of "you can't put her in a box" (metaphorically - not literally) then that is certainly the case.

@brig_be is a mum, a runner, a creative sewing person and someone whose smile can light up a room.  She has an infectious enthusiasm for life and is an inspiration of others.  She is open and attentive to the needs of others and goes about living life in her own driven  self determined way.  Not that you could tell this is if you met her in real life because she is sooooo sweet.

Over the last month or so her life (and tweets) were taken over by one thing - the Tarawera Ultra Marathon.    If you look through her tweets from February and March you will be able to get a better understanding of how much emotional time goes into preparation for an event as big as the one she completed.  And now having knocked off what rally was a huge effort in anyone's book (approx 50 miles) @brig_be is looking for what next?

A lot of how she tweets is influenced by both where she grew up: the King Country and where she lives now: Wellington.   Location based tweets are always interesting because they give the reader both a sense of belonging as well as giving them an insiders view to what is happening in that part of the world:

"Very cool to see dolphins in the harbour! Binoculars now on the office shopping list.""

"Washing's on the line, now getting wet.@#*^&%&^ Wellington weather."

"Wellington - loving you today! #wgtnwx"

"I got propositioned by a walking banana on Lambton Quay today. Ah, the sevens!"

As always (and like most of twitter) she has a great outlook on life and sees the cup as being half full with room for possibilities.  She Brigbee isn't afraid to pursue her dreams - "Dream job on @TradeMe: retail at the Gibbston Valley cheese shop in Queenstown. Oh all right, if I have to."  She goes after her dreams and goals at her own pace, in her own way but always with the wise advice of others to guide her.

Did I mention she can cook?  All FABULOUS women can bake!  "Advice please! Baking for fundraising - which baked treat would you most likely shell out for? Tx :)"

If you take the time you can view her blog here - runbrigbee.blogspot.co.nz/.  Hopefully she will add some more content to it as she embarks on her next great goal.  (And I may even get a wee mention in that blog somewhere along the way).  I would like to say that I do have one disappointment and that is having not made the acquaintance of @brig_be sooner.  Be it in real life or on twitter.  But life has a way of ensuring you meet the right people at the right time in the right places.  (And that right there is a whole story in itself).

The last word goes to the lady herself, with a tweet that describes her perfectly in so many ways - 

"Donated plasma this morning. What a treat - lying still for an hour while sipping tea and reading magazines, and doing a wee bit of good :)"

Random follow #75 - @mrs_hyde

Tweets come in all shapes and sizes.  They also come from all walks of life and use twitter for many different reasons.  One very definite way that some people, namely persons who work in education, use social media is as a tool for learning, personal development and growth.  

@mrs_hyde is one of those people.  Being deputy principal at a school is not an easy task.  Trying to teach kids who are going through both emotional, physical and learning changes all at the same time is a tough ask.  And yet at the same time it can be incredibly rewarding (I know this because my daughter is at intermediate school right now).

I am picking that a PLN was probably the way that @mrs_hyde found her way onto twitter.  Whats a PLN?  It stands for personal learning network.  Essentially it is a map of online tools that people can use to interact and learn from others.  For a great read about PLN's click here.

That's enough from me.  Lets see what we can discover about Mrs Hyde and her twitter life.  Mrs Hyde is a mum.  How do I know?

Well she has a fabulous daughter who is also on twitter.  Her name is @PipHyde.  She is lovely, super determined and never gives up.  Pip recently walked 145km's with a busted ankle so that she could complete the goal she had set for herself.  And another daughter (I think) who has the name
@clodhyde but she is brand new to twitter so hasn't really tweeted yet.

What else?

She plays Minecraft.  Well the students play and she just supervises (yeah right - LOL) "Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom http://ow.ly/jm5PM . Thanks @1MvdS @myen"

@mrs_hyde has a healthy mix between the number of people she follows and the number of people who follow her.  She enjoys engaging in conversation with almost anyone provided you aren't seen to be wasting her time.

She tweets about resources she has found online that can benefit other teachers.  "Excellent Google Books Tips for Teachers ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning http://shar.es/eE5D6  via @medkh9".
Because no one teacher knows it all but social media is about the power of community.

In closing I can say that @mrs_hyde is an incredible supporter of those she loves and cherishes.  With a mix of both intelligence, patience and determination she has what it takes to be able to make a difference in kids lives.  Teach on.

Random follow #68 - @sarb

While attending a running clinic last week one of the elite athletes spoke one phrase that totally resounds with me - "Respect everyone".  You never know when you speak to someone, toe the start line with someone, or run a few km's with someone who they are or what their story is.

I had the great pleasure of both meeting, conversing with and sharing some stories over a meal with today's random kiwi tweeter - @sarb.  @Sarb is one of those people who doesn't necessarily stand out in a crowd or someone who makes a big song dance about himself but underneath the surface is a myriad of complexity, warmth and awesome anecdotes that can keep you engaged for hours.

@sarb is quite literally the smartest person I have profiled so far.  With not just one but two PhD's in different fields of psychology he is quite an intellectual powerhouse.  With that much talent (and hard work to boot) it probably goes without saying that he is an associate professor.  And yet with all that intellectualism he brings to the table a sense of humor, an ability to engage easily with other people and he exudes an inner warmth of care for others.

It is that caring nature and ability to empathize that see's him travel the length and breadth of not only New Zealand but the entire world.  I don't want to say too much but his field of expertise is disaster recovery from a psychological perspective.  So he spends time helping the good folk of Christchurch and other places where there have been major disasters as well.

He is also an amazing person for other reasons.  On Saturday just been he ran/walked 60 kilometers to finish his second ever official ultra marathon.  Not only is that a feat in itself but, according to the doctor, he may have covered the second half of the course with a concussion.  On what was a super tough course he was able to dig deep and find both the drive, focus and single vision to get himself across the line.

Add to the mix hat he is a dad with a beautiful little girl and you'll have a pretty good picture of who @sarb is. And this wouldn't be a well rounded post if I didn't profile a few of his tweets so you know what you'll be looking at if you add him to your follow list -

Funny tweets - "I just cracked 1000 followers. I think that calls for a mini-w00t."
Weather tweets - "Bigger w00t reserved for substantial rain now falling in Rotorua"
Sports tweets - "Drinks break at nzVEng at the Basin Reserve. Ticket sales pretty chaotic at gate, and far fewer food outlets than required. Step up!"
Food tweets - "There is a conspiracy afoot to make sure that I don't get any lunch. I'm onto 'em"
Parental duties - "Good grief, I'm tired today - though a good day dipping in and out of the Newtown Festival with the toddler. How you doing?"

@sarb is an incredible person who if you ever have the chance or opportunity to meet in real life will in no way leave you disappointed.  When you leave his presence you will leave with both a feeling of meeting a mutual mind but also with a feeling that you have gained something.  That something could be knowledge, a fresh perspective on life or even just a warm feeling inside that you have engaged with a person who is completely genuine.

My final words to you are the same with which I started - Respect everyone.

Random follow #58 - @jensta12

It takes some kind of determination, physical ability and motivation to get fit.  It takes all those very some ingredients plus some more for someone to become a fitness instructor.  Hours and hours of time are spent in movement and strength training to create a body someone can be proud of.  But physical development is only one part of the equation.  There is also a need for inner personal development.  So when the internal and external combine then you have the right person for the job.

@jensta12 is a person of determination and depth.  Forging a career as a person whose role it is to motivate, teach and encourage others to be active is no walk in the park.  There are literally hundreds of physical trainers out there essentially competing for clients to train.  So this is where the mental balance and wellness combines with sheer grit and determination to make a trainer a good one.

Jenny is a really cool chick.  She is 100% kiwi and proud of it. You will find in her timeline tweets about all sort of random kiwi things.  

One thing I have noticed about her tweets is that she usually has a positive spin on them.  What people tweet is generally an extension of their inner self.  In Jenny's case that inner self likes chocolate, puppies and and pizza.  Sounds pretty damn good to me!  

She is not immune from dropping the occasional health tip - "upside of drinking long blacks as opposed to laté, not only save $ but save on drinking all that milk too!"

Some thoughts on dieting - "Thought I'd give the paleo diet a try - 2 days & I'm over it already & hungry!! Mind you that's probably 'cos I haven't had any dinner!"

And there is the North Shore lifestyle too - "Couple of hours on the beach - off to teach couple of group fitness classes now! Still all sandy!!"

And of course there are the mandatory funny tweets - "You know I think I might stay with Vegemite - like the taste & Sanitarium don't pay enough tax - apparently !" and this one "Might have a nap (power, not Nana)!!".

Now if there was going to be one area of weakness or downfall it would be the fact that she is in Auckland.  But wait! All is not lost! On no - @jensta12 is in actual fact from Motueka (More-chew-ek-car).  So because she is from the South Island that raises her profile to the absolute heights of twitter stardom.

(Editors note - that paragraph was a joke.  Stirring.  Tongue in cheek.  Aucklanders please don't take it too seriously or personally/)

Just as an aside there is one thing about the top of the South Island you should know is that is where they grow all the best ingredients for beer.  That is - hops.  

Jenny is a fun loving, active, determined, positive woman who is also a mum.  She is a tweeter of many things and is someone who enjoys her life to the fullest.  Today Jenny gets a rating of 'very valuable tweeter' :)