Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Author: Karen Putz

  • A Mother-Son Bonding Moment

    I had a bonding moment with my 13-year-old son recently. A few weeks ago, I casually mentioned that he might like the Weird Al Yankovic videos and songs. He gave me his customary eye-roll and his “W” sign for Whatever, Mom.

    I loved the Weird Al parodies of Michael Jackson’s Eat It and Thriller songs when I was a few years (ahem!) younger. Back then, I had to beg a friend to write down lyrics to songs and none of the videos were captioned on MTV.

    Then a few days ago, David excitedly motioned me to come into the office. “Look mom, you gotta see this. It’s hilarious!” On the computer screen he pulled up Weird Al’s White and Nerdy. Being the typical clueless Mom, I had never heard of Ridin’ Dirty by Charmillionaire, the song that is parodied by Weird Al. David pulled up the lyrics and started the video.

    They see me mowin’ my front lawn
    I know they’re all thinkin’ I’m so
    White and nerdy

    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Think I’m just too white and nerdy
    Can’t you see I’m white and nerdy
    Look at me I’m white and nerdy

    I wanna roll with the gangstas
    But so far they all think I’m too
    White and nerdy

    And there’s Weird Al, dressed up quite nerdy, extending his hand out to the gangsters in a convertible, who desperately try to lock the door and peel away quickly.

    Hilarious indeed!

    We watched the video several times together, laughing so hard that the other kids came in and joined us. We watched Another One Rides The Bus, a parody of “Another One Bites The Dust. “Hey kids,” I said, “Do you want to see a video that I used to watch when I was in high school?”

    “You mean Weird Al was around back then?” they replied, incredulous.

    It was my turn to roll the eyes.

    So we watched “Beat It.” (The kids were amazed at how normal Michael Jackson looked back then!). Then we roared with laughter at Weird Al’s “Eat It.”

    Yes, it would have been much better if the video was captioned on the internet. I’m just so glad that my kids can instantly look up lyrics. I’m glad that they have the ability to adapt the Ipod for use with their hearing aids.

    And I’m very thankful for the incredible bonding moment that Weird Al brought us.

  • A Very Rare Photo– Wash Hung Up to Dry


    Look closely. Yup, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, there’s snow on the ground. Someone hung the wash outside on a beautiful, sunny, wintery day.

    My mom and my sister are down in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri visiting some relatives. Yup, those are the people that hung up that wash. Relatives of ours.

    I grew up helping my mom hang out the wash several times a week. We had a working dryer in the basement, yet my mom chose to hang up the wash on sunny days. She had a system: sheets were hung on the outside lines, our unmentionables were hidden on the inside lines. I used to grumble about having to go outside, gather up the dry clothes and help her fold them. Little did I realize that I was getting my daily dose of Vitamin D and fresh air, a combination that does a body good.

  • A Weekend of Fun for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Kids



    What a Saturday! West Suburban Association of the Deaf and Harper College ASL Club hosted a Holiday Party for 110 kids. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were there and gave out stocking stuffers from the WSAD/ASL clubs and frisbees donated by i711/GoAmerica. The kids had a blast jumping in a castle, making crafts, playing games and hitting pinatas. Hotdogs, pizza, salad and cookies were served non-stop. Judging from the smiles on the kids’ faces, everyone was having a good time.

    Later that night, the Seven Bridges Ice Arena hosted the Disabled Hockey Games, which included a team from the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association. Somewhere in the blur of skaters, you will find Kurt Bernabei, a future Deaf Olympic hockey player. On another rink there was a sled hockey competition for hockey players with mobility disabilities.

  • I MacGyvered the Snowblower!


    This morning, we woke up to several inches of snow. The kids excitedly jumped into their snowsuits at eight in the morning and began shoveling the driveway. When I arrived outside, I was amazed at how much snow covered our cul-de-sac.

    The hubby tried to start the snowblower last night to no avail. I figured I would give it a try. The primer button was all cracked, but the electric starter roared to life. The machine just wouldn’t start and get going. With no way to prime it, I couldn’t get the gas moving through.

    “What would MacGyver do?” I muttered to myself. For those of you with no clue, MacGyver was a show in the 1980’s that featured Richard Dean Anderson as a special agent who used common objects to fight crime and get himself out of tight situations. Candy bars, paper clips, gum were some of the items he used, often with just seconds to spare before disaster would happen.

    So I looked at the primer button and discovered that I needed to create some kind of suction or forced air to get the gas moving. The bicycle pump! I searched all over the garage but couldn’t find it. My eyes settled on the leaf blower. Nah, too powerful. I looked at the primer button again. There was a hole as wide as the end of a paper clip. A straw, I thought to myself. I can blow through a straw…

    On the way to the kitchen, I suddenly realized that I had the perfect tool to use on the primer: the hearing aid tube blower.

    And sure enough, one squeeze of the bulb blower and the snowblower roared to life!

  • The Deaf Doc is In!

    It’s that time of the year when we get hit with the usual alphabet soup of winter ills: bronchitis, colds, flu and more. Dr. Carolyn Stern has a brand new medical website, DeafDOC, filled with information on a variety of health topics. Dr. Stern is a board certified family physician who practices in Rochester, New York. The unique aspect of this website: the information is given in American Sign Language as well as voiced and captioned.

    I first met Dr. Stern when she practiced at Lutheran General in the Chicago area several years ago. I was filled with a lot of questions, such as how to hear a heartbeat (she uses an amplified stethoscope) and how to measure blood pressure (it can also be measured manually through the hands). At that time, I was learning how to become a doula and had the opportunity to attend several births, including a home waterbirth. I was toying with the idea of a career in the birthing field. Dr. Stern was an inspiration, as she was catching babies and serving entire families with her practice. As it turned out, I pursued early intervention instead and got involved with Hands & Voices.

    Dr. Stern has a section on her website where you can Ask the Doc and get some feedback on your health concerns. She is also available as a speaker and a consultant.

  • Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf Fundraising Bash

    On Thursday, November 22, the annual Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf fundraiser was held at Prairie Rock restaurant in Schaumburg. The Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf, or MCLD as it is known among Chicagoans, was created by Chicago attorney Howard Rosenblum. The non-profit organization:

    –Trains and recruits attorneys to serve the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing clients
    –Educates deaf and hard of hearing people on their rights
    –Trains interpreters on how to deal with the unique challenges of working within a courtroom or other legal settings
    –Provides resources to families and friends of deaf and hard of hearing people
    –Prepares law enforcement officers to effectively communicate with deaf and hard of hearing people
    –Aids courts in ensuring full access to the justice system by deaf and hard of hearing parties, attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and spectators.

    The annual fundraiser covers the cost of a part-time staff person and services offered by MCLD. Howard works tirelessly year after year to ensure that deaf and hard of hearing persons have access to legal representation. And, as Howard jokes, “so that deaf people can sue other deaf people.”

    So this year, if you’re looking for a charitable contribution, the Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf is an organization worthy of donations.

  • Mom’s Night Inn– What a Blast!

    The 2006 Mom’s Night Inn hosted by Illinois Hands & Voices was held on Friday, November 17th and Saturday, November 18th. Thirty four moms of deaf and hard of hearing kids gathered together for a night of connecting, sharing and laughing.

    We started off with introductions and then jumped right into an interactive presentation, “Taking a Trip Down Guilty Lane, How to Arrive in Paradise Instead.” Motherhood and guilt, they go hand-in-hand. To ease any guilt that remained, we finished off the evening with massages, manicures, crafts and food.

    After Saturday morning’s breakfast, we sat back to listen to a group of panelist share their life’s experiences. Ben Lachman, Erika Lohmiller, Tony Abou Ezzi and Carol Nemecek answered question after question from the moms and gave some great advice. The panelists had a varied background: Cued Speech, American Sign Language, spoken language and simultaneous communication.

    The feedback from the moms echoed the same sentiment over and over: “It was so wonderful to connect with other moms of deaf and hard of hearing children.”

    And of course, everyone enjoyed the huge wicker basket filled with chocolate that we served non-stop throughout the event.

    Check out the experience of Juliet Martinez, one of the moms who attended: I Just Needed a Slumber Party!

  • The Lions Club

    This week, I was invited to attend a Batavia Lions Club meeting and introduce Illinois Hands & Voices to their members. The Lions provided a delicious dinner and an interpreter.

    There were thirteen Lions in attendance, with the majority of them over the age of sixty. The Lions president, Todd McPencow, however was a young guy who fit right in and seemed very comfortable with his ability to lead. As I sat there watching the proceedings, I was struck by a sense of honor and commitment from the men in the room. The Lions Clubs are known for their fundraisers and support for people with vision and hearing loss. It is considered an high honor to be invited to join as a member of the Lions.

    Each local Lions Club sends funds to the Lions of Illinois Foundation which runs the Camp Lions in three locations in Illinois. This year, Camp Lions of Illinois will be celebrating their 50th year of camp. With 700 Lions Clubs around Illinois, the fundraising covers the cost of camp for every camper; each camper is required to bring just $15 to spend at the camp store and cover the cost of a camp group picture.

    I worked as a camp counselor back in my college days and I have fond memories of camp. My kids have attended Camp Lions for two years in a row, and it continues to be one of the activities that they talk about the most throughout the year. At Camp Lions, it doesn’t matter whether you sign, speak or cue– the most important thing is fun.

    The Lions have always been a generous group, including the Bolingbrook Lions Club which provided hearing aids for my family one year and a laptop for our local deaf club, West Suburban Association of the Deaf.

    After I shared information about Illinois Hands & Voices and Hands & Voices National, the Batavia Lions concluded the meeting with a very generous donation.

    To all of the Lions who work tirelessly to help the communities they serve, thank you.

  • Chicago Hearing Society Celebrates 90 Years

    Chicago Hearing Society hosted a 90th Anniversary celebration on November 9, 2006. Chicago Hearing Society has a special place in my heart because I did my graduate internship in the Social Services and Counseling department almost twenty years ago. It was there that I met Ed Hudson and we had lunch together nearly every day. Ed died in a plane crash several years ago, but when I look back at my time at CHS– I always remember Ed.

    I. King Jordan was scheduled as the keynote speaker, but due to the events at Gallaudet, he was not able to attend. Instead, Bill Graham, one of the founders of the Association for Late-Deafened Adults filled in. I first met Bill back in the early 90’s, when I attended one of the first ALDA conventions in Chicago. I’ve always enjoyed his wry humor and his wonderful way with words.

    Chicago Hearing Society put together a slide show covering 90 years of its history. The early pictures showed a group of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing persons gathered in a room. The vision back then was simple: to provide a social connection and a goal of working together to improve the lives of deaf and hard of hearing persons. That goal is still alive today, with CHS providing a variety of services to every segment of the deaf and hard of hearing population.

    One person who simply doesn’t get enough KUDOs is June Prusak. June is the Youth Coordinator at CHS and she has tirelessly planned events for deaf and hard of hearing kids all over Chicagoland. Someday, the kids she serves will be pushing her wheelchair and June will still be leading them with a smile.

    Howard Rosenblum– Chicago’s famous deaf attorney

    Karen and Bill Graham

    CHS Volunteers

  • Lowell Myers– A Lawyer Who Inspired Another

    Lowell Myers, a deaf attorney who practiced in the Chicago area for years, has passed away. Myers was known for handling a case for Donald Lang, a deaf man with minimal language skills who was accused of murder. The case was later chronicled in the 1979 made-for-TV movie titled, “Dummy.”

    His obituary can be accessed here: Lowell J. Myers.
    Chicago is home to another deaf attorney, Howard Rosenblum, who credits Myers as his inspiration to become a lawyer as well.

    “Lowell Myers was a pioneer,” says Howard. “He became an accountant AND a lawyer at a time when many deaf people were unable to overcome barriers to education. Mr. Myers just did not see barriers, only opportunities. Even when the Dean of John Marshall Law School told him that he could not be a lawyer because of his deafness, he did not see a barrier. Mr. Myers simply convinced the Dean to give him a chance. Not only did he graduate from law school, but he did so well that he was among the top students in the school. He did this without interpreters or any other kind of accommodation. He worked as a lawyer for many years without the benefit of the ADA or other disability rights laws. Mr. Myers just did not let such barriers stop him.

    Mr. Myers also helped others see opportunities. When he came to speak about his experiences as a lawyer at an event in 1978, a twelve-year-old deaf boy saw the same opportunity that Mr. Myers saw for himself. That boy was me, and thanks to Mr. Myers, I became a lawyer 14 years later. Lowell Myers, wherever you are now, thank you for being an inspiration.”

    Howard works for Equip for Equality in Chicago and runs the Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf.