Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Author: Karen Putz

  • Karen Putz in Ability Magazine

    Check out the current issue of Ability magazine, featuring “Standing on Her Own Two Feet,” which chronicles my return to barefoot water skiing.  The story also features Keith St. Onge, but unfortunately, they left out Judy Myers!   It was the hubby who found the link to the Today show segment that lead me to Judy Myers, who lead me to Keith and the World Barefoot Center.  Life did a 180!  Thank you, Keith, Judy and Joe– for turning it all around.

    To receive a free digi-issue of Ability magazine, click the “Like” button on Facebook:  Free Issue of Ability Magazine

  • Driving the Midwest in a Traverse

    The gleaming blue Chevy Traverse was delivered Friday morning, thanks to Connie Burke from Driving the Midwest.  George Schuch, the driver who dropped off the car, went over all the bells and whistles of the vehicle.  I was more fascinated by George, who sported a pair of hearing aids and told me about his love for his job, driving cars all over the Midwest for manufacturers.  “The best part of my job is getting to meet people like you and traveling all over,” said George. “And I get to drive some really nice cars, like a Rolls Royce!”  When I told my husband about George, he was jealous.  “I’d love a job like that– getting to drive cars all day long.”

    At first, I was a little worried about being able to load stuff for seven people for a week-long trip down to Waco, Texas, but everything fit into the Traverse.  My wetsuit, heater and barefoot shorts fit into the cargo space in the back.  I was especially proud of my daughter, Lauren, who initially packed a large bag stuffed to the hilt; and then pared everything down into one tiny bag.  For a girl who likes her clothes, she gamely agreed to go light all week.

    The seven of us piled in– the hubby, the kids, my friend Sharon and her son, Nicky.  Without a doubt, the most valuable accessory in the Traverse was the full outlet.  We ran our laptop, Game Boys, and phones during the nine hour drive.  The Traverse was equipped with two sunroofs, but with the heat bearing down at over 100 degrees as we neared Missouri, the black out shades were a welcome relief.  When the rain hit, we enjoyed the view:

     

    We drove 538 miles to Joplin, Missouri and settled for the night at the Marriott Residence Inn.  We kicked back with dinner at the pool and relaxed in the hot tub. In Joplin, folks are still recovering from the devastation caused by the tornado.   Lauren connected with one of the residents, who is still living at the Residence Inn as her home is being rebuilt.

    We’re piling in the Traverse once again this morning, for another 500+ miles to Waco.  Onward!

     

     

  • The Midwest Barefoot Regionals

    My first tournament experience was such a great one, and I was looking forward to heading back up to the Blue Moo for the Midwest Barefoot Regionals. The back seat was filled with boxes of Popchips, sponsored by Popchips Chicago.  The barefooters seemed to enjoy the chips, including the youngest, soon-to-be-a-barefooter, Ryker Meskers:

    Holly Buchman was surprised to find out that Popchips are only 100 calories per bag.  Even so, she worked for her chips:

    And who knew that Keith St. Onge is a sucker for Popchips too:

    I was hoping to conquer my tumble turns and one foots at this tournament, but that didn’t happen.  I still have a long way to go to master those tricks on the water.  Slalom wasn’t so hot either– I couldn’t get a comfortable stance on the water and wobbled all over the place.  That’s barefooting for you– one day you’ll have a great run, the next day you’re a beginner all over again.

    At the end of the tournament, just as I was getting into my car to head back to the hotel, another barefooter caught my attention and asked, “Are you the one who’s deaf?”

    “Ah, yes, that’s me.”  Turns out he had tried talking to me earlier and I didn’t respond to him.  The story of my life.  We ended up chatting and he shared his experience with barefooting.  I love talking with the older barefooters– they really inspire me with their dedication to the sport year after year.  And to think that almost two years ago, I figured my life on the water was pretty much over with.

    At the banquet, I had a moment of panic when I realized that I couldn’t lipread Derek Koch when he started the awards after dinner.  I debated moving closer to the stage and plopping myself right in front of him, but I knew that without informing him, he wouldn’t likely know to slow down so that I could understand him.  I silently berated myself for not preparing for this beforehand, but it was too late to do anything about it.  So I thought of Teri Larson, whom I had just met that day (she has a hard of hearing mom) and I went to sit by her.  Teri gracefully summarized what was going on and she let me know when it was my turn to head up front.  Teri is a lipreader’s dream– I was able to have a full conversation with her in the water without my hearing aids earlier that day.  Thank you, Teri, for being my interpreter!

    Since I was the only footer in the Womens 4 division, the medals for slalom, tricks and Overall were handed over to me.  They represent the whole experience, not the competition– but the experience– of getting back on the water and meeting all these really neat folks from all over.  Priceless.

    And of course, it wouldn’t have been possible without the awesome sponsors who made it all happen (thank you!):  General Motors, Phonak, ZVRS, Mayor Roger Claar, Oak Cove Resort and Chicago Tribune TribLocal.

     

     

  • How I Wash My Vibram Five Fingers Shoes

    About a year ago, I heard about Vibram Five Fingers shoes from a couple of runners on Twitter.  I was curious to see how those shoes would fit because I have extra-wide feet with bunions, and finding shoes is a nightmare for me.  I picked up a pair at the Naperville Running Company and they fit– literally–like a glove.  I pretty much do everything and anything in my Vibrams.  Steven, my youngest kiddo, took to stealing my Vibrams every now and then and he wore them for track during the spring.  When I dropped him off at camp today, I saw that he once again claimed my Vibrams on his feet.

    The usual procedure for washing Vibram Five Fingers is to simply toss them in the washing machine with some towels and they come out spanking clean again.  I took my Vibrams to the river with me last week and found another way to wash ’em:

     

  • Barefooting on espnW

    Barefooting has gone mainstream on espnW.  Note, the lakes are not alligator-infested.  The alligators are “supposedly” small on the lake.  (Having said that, now watch, I’ll get eaten by an alligator next time I’m in Florida.)  Enjoy!

    Karen Putz Re-ignites Her Water Skiing Passion

     

     

  • Sponsor Spotlight: Phonak Hearing Aids

    Slowly, but surely, we’ve become a Phonak family.  The kids all started out with other brands of hearing aids and over time, they’ve been outfitted with Phonak Naidas.  So when it came time for me to say goodbye to two broken hearing aids, I went for the Phonaks as well.  You can read about my experience here:

    Getting New Hearing Aids

    Today’s Hearing Aids are Mini-Cadillacs

    I’m proud to say that Phonak is one of my sponsors for my barefoot water skiing journey this summer.  My journey with Phonak began with Dawn Ruley, who was my kids’ audiologist for several years.  Dawn works at Phonak as a Pediatric and Schools Specialist.  And because it’s such a small world, Dawn’s sister Megan Pullos, was Lauren’s preschool teacher.  She was there for Lauren when she lost her hearing.

    Dawn connected me with Mike Orschlen and Mike provided me a glimpse inside the company that provides such a variety of hearing aids.  Mike is a 30-year veteran of the health care industry and he came to Phonak nearly four years ago.  “I’ve worked in the medical equipment industry a long time, but I never really thought about hearing aids,” said Mike.  “Hearing loss is a hidden thing–most don’t think about it nor do they treat their hearing loss.”

    Mike speaks from personal experience.  He didn’t discover his own hearing loss until two years ago, when he turned his head in bed one morning and discovered he couldn’t hear sounds out of one ear.  “I never thought I had a hearing loss before that,” said Mike.  “It’s the same for many other people–hearing loss is a bigger problem than most are aware of.”  Mike wears a in-the-canal hearing aid, but his process as a patient was an eye-opener for him.   He wanted to see what it was like for others to obtain a hearing aid.  After waiting a few weeks, he was told that he didn’t need a hearing aid.  “The doctor said that I didn’t need a hearing aid, but I know it helps because I wear mine.  It allows me to hear the high frequencies that I’m missing.”

    Phonak is unique in that in provides “Sound Recover,” a frequency transposition that takes the high sounds and converts them to lower frequency sounds that can be heard.  No other  hearing aid manufacturer offers this.   “We are helping people to hear more, hear better and hear more clearly,” said Mike.  “The Zoom feature creates a beam of sound directly in front of the person and suppresses background sounds, allowing people to hear in difficult environments.  I love it– and I’m excited that we can help people hear better.

    “That’s what motivates me about Phonak,” Mike continues.  “The people who work here are driven by something more important than just answering phones–we make a difference in people’s lives.  Everyone’s hearing loss is different, we tailor our products to the customer.  If we help them, we can make a difference– and that feels good.”

    And thank you, Phonak, for your sponsorship and for making a difference in my life and my kid’s life.  I really do like that mute feature– for the times when the house is filled with rowdy teenagers.

     

     

     

  • Missing My Dad

    The tears were streaming down my face when I finally banged the clamp off of the old battery.  The boat wouldn’t start and the old battery had somehow overheated last summer and needed to be replaced.  I had a feeling that the problem wasn’t the battery– I suspected it was the starter– but I wasn’t sure.  And the one person that I always counted on to help me, was no longer here.

    The kids looked at me in surprise.  “What’s wrong, Mom?”

    “I’m just thinking about Dad,” I explained.  “Every time there was something wrong with the boat, he was the one to fix it or to tell me what was wrong with it. I’m just missing him.”

    This week, there’s been one thing after another wrong with the boat.  The battery clamp broke off and I had to run to town to buy a new one.  The starter was indeed the problem, and I ended up writing a check to the mechanic for that one.   “Oh by the way, Mom, the gas gauge doesn’t work,” David informed me just before pulling me for a run earlier in the week.   I fixed that.   “Mom, the water pump isn’t working and the boat has some water in it,” he told me tonight after another barefoot run.  Joe fixed the broken wire and got the pump running again.

    Lately, I’ve been missing Dad a lot.  The house seems empty without him.  If you recall my earlier post about seeing a red-winged blackbird, then you know the story of that connection with my Dad.   Last week Friday, I was doing a clinic up at the Blue Moo Lake and I was feeling a little bit anxious about being able to put together a trick run.  I had struggled on the water earlier in the week at Cedar Lake and had not yet even practiced a trick run.  I was floating in the water, waiting for the boat to return and a lone bird landed on the bank.  I turned to take a closer look and saw that it was a…

    Red-winged blackbird.

    I threw my head back and laughed.

    My First Barefoot Tournament

  • Hands & Voices in Maine

    As I type this, I’m sitting in front of a window overlooking the bay in Portland, Maine.  This is my first visit to this northeastern state.  I know several people who are attending the Hands & Voices conference, and I’m about to meet many more who will become familiar faces in the next few years.  That has been my experience with Hands & Voices over the years:  the wonderful opportunity to meet diverse parents, professionals, D/deaf/hard of hearing folks from all walks of life, all corners of the world.

    How did this journey unfold?  Many years ago, when my three deaf and hard of hearing kids were much younger, I sat down to develop a website for Illinois that would put together resources for parents with deaf and hard of hearing children.  My passion was to connect with other families and share the experience of raising our kids together.  Along the way, I discovered Hands & Voices, an organization whose philosophy mirrored my own: “What works for your child is what makes the choice right.”  I met Leeanne Seaver, (Executive Director) and Janet Des Georges (Executive Director, Colorado Hands & Voices) and I liked them immediately, despite the fact that they were beautiful and fashionably hip.  I was sucked in became a board member and started up the Illinois chapter.

    When I first joined Hands & Voices, we were still relatively unknown– and definitely grassroots, but we all had a vision of connecting and helping families.  It’s amazing to see how much the organization has grown.   Today, we have 26 approved chapters, 11 provisional chapters and 6 start-up chapters.  Our international chapters include British Columbia and Kenya, with provisional and start-ups in the Philippines, Guam/Saipain, Australia, Italy and Nigeria. 

    At the end of the board meeting, I paused for a moment and reflected on the changes over the years.  We started back then with just a handful of chapters, and now we’re connected to families all over the world.  The family in Italy wants the same thing as the family in Arkansas:  a well-adjusted, successful kid.  And the journey is so much easier when we’re connected to one another, sharing resources and support.

    Years ago, at the very first Hands & Voices conference, we all fit around a single table.  At the opening night in Maine, we filled the entire dining room at Southern Maine Community College.   One by one, as we went around the room, we introduced our new best friend sitting next to us.  I had the honor of getting to know and introduce Ann Porter, a parent and CEO of Aussie Deaf Kids.

    What I love most about Hands & Voices is that over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of parents, professionals and deaf/hard of hearing adults from all over.  I always marvel at the stories they share, the paths they’ve taken on the journey and the wisdom that they share which helps guide me as I raise my own kids.  And every time I cross paths with someone, I’m reminded of a quote by Tim McGraw:

    “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.”


    For more pictures featuring the Maine Leadership Conference, visit the Hands & Voices Facebook page.  Follow us on Twitter:  @HandsandVoices.

  • Sponsor Spotlight: General Motors and Driving the Midwest

    In early August, I will be heading down to the Barefoot Ski Ranch in Waco, Texas in a brand new Chevrolet, thanks to Connie Burke from General Motors. I met Connie at a Chicago Social Media Club event earlier this year and she told me about her program, Driving the Midwest.

    Connie Burke has been working for General Motors for 26 years, but her recent position as a Communications Manager has been the most exciting, thrilling, satisfying position she’s ever worked in.  Not only is Connie part of the social media team at General Motors, but as part of her job, she gets to hand out cars to folks all over the Midwest.

    “Driving the Midwest was an outgrowth of the social media program that we created in Chicago, called  Chevy Missions,” said Connie.  “Chevy recognized people that were making a difference in their community.  We gave vehicles to help those were were making a difference in the community –whatever their passion was we wanted them to experience it with our cars.”

    Driving the Midwest program began in March, 2011 as one of five regions, and includes all of the General Motors brands, Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.  “We’ve received good feedback about this program, and people fall in love with our products as a result,” Connie explained.   “We have a lot of fuel-efficiency vehicles, like the new Chevy Cruze— a  small car that feels like a mid-size car–and it gets up to 42 miles per gallon.   Our cars have improved so much over the years.  We’ve added features like Bluetooth, separate entertainment systems, a 30 gig hard drive that holds iPod music and even the Onstar parking assistance which includes a back-up camera.  We’ve added lots of safety features as well.”

    Of all of the keys she’s handed out under the program, the most memorable one for Connie was handing the keys over to Mark Horvath prior to the SOBCon 2011 conference in Chicago.  Mark is known for his work with people who are homeless.  His mission is to teach people how to use the internet to search for jobs– and break the cycle of homelessness.  They may not have a physical address, but as long as they have email and wifi access, Mark teaches them how to make things happen.    “That was the best day of my career– it was very emotional,” said Connie.  “Just to see his face light up…  He realized that his hard work was recognized–that his work is really important.  That’s the part of my job that is really validating, honoring people who make a difference.”

    There’s no typical day at work for Connie, as she’s involved in all kinds of events.  One day, she might be on a baseball field helping to clean up, the next day she will be at an event such as the Detroit Motor City Pride or speaking at a conference.   Just recently, she kicked off Theresa Carter’s Route 66 Tour to raise money for Endure to Cure.  Just before that, she handed over a Chevy Cruze to Melisa Wells, who just released a book, “Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go.”  The back of the truck was chock full of useful donations for the Ronald McDonald house. 

    I feel extremely blessed to soon be the recipient of a vehicle from General Motors for our trip to the Barefoot Nationals in August.   Two years ago, on my 44th birthday, I spent that day feeling down and missing my youthful days of barefoot water skiing.  Now two years later this August, I’ll be celebrating my birthday with my family, and a whole new community of barefooting friends— what an incredible blessing!   Thank you, Connie Burke and General Motors for making this possible!

     

  • Living Life with Appreciation and Gratitude

    When I arrived home after Dad died, there was a pile of mail sitting on the counter.  It took me a few days before I sat down and finally opened the cards one by one.  One card, in particular, stood out.  It was sent by AnnMarie Mickelson, my friend from Georgia.  On the cover, was a picture I had taken of my hand clasping my father’s hand.  I had taken the picture shortly before he died and posted it to Facebook with the message, “Thanks for 45 years Dad–I’m going to miss you.”

    AnnMarie also included a picture that I had taken from a flight.  Here’s the card:

     

    AnnMarie used a service called Send Out Cards to create this customized, personal card.   I also received another Send Out Card, this one from Glenda Watson Hyatt, a friend of mine from Canada.  Glenda has cerebral palsy, a disability that makes it difficult for her to write.  Send Out Cards was an easy way for her to create a customized card.  She sent me a card with a picture of a sunset from her recent trip to Hawaii (I love sunsets!).

    Intrigued, I wanted to learn more about Send Out Cards, so I opened an account.  I found that I really enjoyed creating cards and surprising folks here and there with a little appreciation and gratitude.  Losing Dad brought that on, for sure– a whole new appreciation for the people who cross my path on this life journey.   Kody Bateman, the founder of Send Out Cards, had a similar revelation when he ignored a gut feeling to share some love with his brother and shortly afterwards, he lost his brother.  That’s how Send Out Cards was born.  Here’s an excerpt from his story:

    Send Out Cards came into existence because of a story, the story of my brother Kris and how I ignored a prompting to say goodbye to him before I moved away.   Shortly after moving away, a phone call revealed the tragic news that he had been killed.   I hung up the phone after hearing this news and realized that this particular story would change my life.  I set out to search for meaning in the story of my brother’s death.  In that search, I made some promises to my brother.  I promised him that I would act on my promptings from then on and find a way to help others do the same.  This became a collected story in my life and it guided my efforts for the next 18 years.  Today, Send Out Cards is the result of that collected story.

    Take a moment to read my previous post, how taking just a second to tell someone how special they are can last a lifetime in their mind:

    A Second That Lasts a Lifetime

    I joined AnnMarie at Send Out Cards, and together, we’re sharing Send Out Cards with others.  This week, we’re toying around with the Send Out Cards video cards– where you can send videos via a card!  Imagine sending a video of a newborn baby to grandparents living in another state.  Or a video tour of your brand new house to a friend who lives in another country.  Or a special message in American Sign Language to a special someone in  your life.

    I was never good at sending cards or remembering birthdays until I started using Send Out Cards.  Now I finally have all of my contacts in one place and a birthday reminder alert.  And a few weeks ago, I received an alert for a friend’s birthday.  I was in another state, with no car– but sending a card and a gift took all of a few minutes.  I snagged a picture off Facebook, designed a customized card, selected a book and sent the whole thing off with the touch of a few keys.

    With Send Out Cards, the possibilities are endless– the connections that result, priceless.  Don’t wait until it’s too late.

    Don’t wait until it’s too late to connect with someone– send them a card today.  The first one is on us.  If you’d like to join our team (I work from a pontoon on a lake and AnnMarie works from an Anytime Fitness gym!) contact me at karen (at) karenputz (dot) com.

    Karen Putz — Passion Pursuits

    AnnMarie Mickelson — Amjon

    Some of the cards we’ve sent: