Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Category: Uncategorized

  • Chicken Soup for the Soul and MORE magazine

    This past January, at a Yes to Success seminar with Debra Poneman, we spent some time writing down goals and accomplishments that we wanted to achieve in one month, one year and five years.  We also listed 100 things to do before we kicked the bucket.  I wrote “be in a major magazine” and “publish a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul” as two of the things I wanted to accomplish.  What I really meant for the magazine goal was to publish an article, but as it turned out, Andrea Atkins from MORE magazine did an article on “I Didn’t Know I Had It In Me” for the November issue.  MORE flew out two photographers from NY to do a photo shoot at the Barefoot Ski Ranch in Texas the day before the Nationals.  Despite two hours of pictures and several runs up and down the lake, to my surprise, they selected a picture of me sitting on the boat instead of standing on the water:

    I’ve always loved the Chicken Soup for the Soul books and years ago, I casually said to myself, “I’d like to get a chapter published.”  But I never wrote down the goal, nor did I actively pursue it.  It wasn’t until the Yes to Success seminar that I put it in black and white in front of me.  I finally visited the Chicken Soup for the Soul website and browsed through their upcoming books.  “Find Your Happiness” was the title of an upcoming book and the deadline for submissions was a short time away.  I sat down and wrote.  Less than an hour later, I was done writing.  I gave it a quick once over and hit the send button.

    In early July, I received an email that I nearly deleted because I didn’t recognize the sender and didn’t pay attention to the subject line.  It was from the editor:

    July 8, 2011

    Dear Karen,

    Your story “The Best Years of Life Are Still Ahead  ” has made it to the final selection round for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Happiness. Only a small percent of the submitted stories have made it this far. The vast majority of stories in this “last round” will appear in the book, but we do not make the final decisions until about a month before the publication date.

    As you can see, the story did make it to the final round when I received a box of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Find Your Happiness books:

    So today, it’s your turn. Start your list of 100 things you’d like to accomplish, do or achieve.  Share some of those in the comments section.  And along the way, let me know what you check off that list.

     

  • You Were Born to Stand Out

    “Mom, can I write all over the wall in my bedroom?”

    My daughter, Lauren, came up with this idea of writing inspirational quotes and pieces from her favorite songs all over her bedroom wall.  After a short discussion, I told her to go for it.  I forgot to consult the hubby on this one.  He was a little taken back when he first stepped in her room and found her writing on the wall, (Do you know how hard it is to paint over permanent marker!!) but after reading some of the inspirations, he agreed it was a good thing.

    Lauren didn’t do the project by herself, she invited others to share their bits of inspiration too.  So of course, my favorite quote went up on the wall.  The kids know it well, I’ve been preaching it to them for several  years now:

    “Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out.”

    — From the movie, “What a Girl Wants.”

    From the time that I first lost my hearing in elementary school, I tried hard to fit in, blend in, and fly under the radar.  I became the Queen of Bluffing— learning how to laugh at the right moment and nod along in conversation– without understanding a thing. I developed elaborate strategies to get through the school day.  “I was spacing out, what’s the homework?” I’d ask the student next to me.  In English class, the teacher had us read paragraphs from a book– I’d count the number of students ahead of me, watch each of them like hawk to see where they finished each paragraph and then when it was my turn, I knew where to start reading.  If there was a discussion, I made sure to chime in with my opinion first, because I couldn’t follow the conversation and I didn’t want to say something that was already said.

    That’s why I always say that going deaf was a blessing. That was the process of learning to accept myself and embrace myself.  That’s when I stopped trying so hard to fit in, and began to celebrate standing out.  God gives each one of us unique gifts and a journey that is like no other, so why would we want to live someone else’s life?

    When my own kids started sporting hearing aids, we picked some “stand out” colors so that there was no mistaking the ornaments perched in their ears.  Lauren and I picked out matching earmolds one year– pink glitter for her and blue glitter for me.  And to my surprise, even after all my efforts of getting my kids comfortable with being deaf and hard of hearing, they still went through their own journey of wanting to fit in, blend in and fly under the radar.  The wild colors were replaced with plain, clear earmolds.  Hair grew over their ears.  I had to learn to back off as a mom and let them experience that.  Soon enough, they became comfortable again in standing out.

    Our kids were born with a different ability, as Lee Woodruff says in her book, Perfectly Imperfect.

    And we should celebrate that difference. But you’ve got to get into a place where you’re really comfortable being deaf/hard of hearing before you can celebrate that difference.  And therein lies the challenge– getting folks comfortable in their own skin.  I think back to my elementary and teen years– I spent way too much time trying to be a poor imitation of a person who could hear instead of the best “me” I could be.    At a recent closing plenary, I shared my journey and the “You were born to stand out,” quote.

    One parent came up to me afterwards.  “I’ve been telling my kid how ‘normal’ he is and that he’s just like everyone else.  He’s miserable being ‘different’ and wants desperately to fit in with others. I’m going home today with your message– and I’m going to celebrate him instead!”

  • Wanting to Be Hearing

    So, before we get into today’s post, go mosey on over to Bad Words and read Tulpen’s post:  Either Way.  Then come on back over and let’s talk.

    Tulpen’s son, Owen, told his mom, “Don’t want to be Deaf. Want to be Hearing.”

    I can relate.  That’s pretty much how I felt– from the time I first began losing my hearing in elementary school until I became deaf.  I can remember being able to hear–I would crawl into bed and listen to my dad tell me the story of Scamp and Tiny– two dogs that went on adventures all over town.  I can also remember the day that I stopped crawling into bed– I could no longer understand what my dad was saying in the dark.  I had become sick with a high fever for nearly a week and shortly after that, I had the “hard of hearing” label tacked on.  I was never able to use the phone after that.  The words that entered my brain were pretty much scrambled and I resorted to lipreading.

    I hated the hearing aid.  Hated the daily struggle to access communication.  I often wished that I had normal hearing.   I held back on life, thinking that “if only I had normal hearing I would do this.”  Or that.

    In elementary school, the kids on the bus teased me, sometimes mercilessly.  I kept my eyes straight ahead or I sometimes buried myself in a book on the rides home.  My best friend, Pattie, defended me on the bus.  Twelve years ago, I received a letter out of the blue from one of my tormenters, asking forgiveness.  He had become a born-again Christian and the teasing had weighed heavily on him over the years.

    I had long ago forgiven, I just didn’t know it.  The forgiveness came from the journey to acceptance– in the form of a severe whack on the head when I tripped on a wake while barefoot water skiing.  I was nineteen.  I could no longer hear anything without a hearing aid perched in my ears.  But it turned out to be the very best thing to happen to me.  I finally, after years and years of battling, finally accepted the whole me.  I embraced the new journey and my world filled up with new deaf and hard of hearing friends and American Sign Language became a part of life.  As for me– I was deaf– and it was okay.

    Then one by one, my kids started collecting audiograms.  David was nearly three, Lauren was four, and Steven was two– and then we started killing more trees and collecting IEP paperwork.  And like Owen, each one of my kids has had their days when they wished they had hearing in the normal range.  And when they expressed that, my heart always did a little blip.  More often than not, it was a cycle– a season in their life– where they became more self-aware, or they matured, or a struggle of some kind would trigger it.  The rest of the time, all was well–they would settle back into being comfortable and happy with life again.

    And it might surprise some of  you to know that I even have moments of self-pity when I wish I could hear.  I had one of those moments while sitting at a banquet after a tournament this summer– and tears started to fall.  My friend Sharon was my interpreter that night and I told her what I was feeling.  I was reflecting over the whole summer of tournaments. “I wish I could hear the announcements, the conversations that flow around me, the jokes that get told on the boat– I miss out on all that stuff.  And sometimes I can’t lipread some of the folks I meet…” I whined.  Yes, I whined.

    We are human. In moments of humaness (is that even a word?) all of us wish for something else.  Thinner, taller, younger, smarter, richer–whatever it is, that darn grass is always greener somewhere else.  But ultimately, we have to cultivate that little patch of green we’re standing on.  We have to bloom where we are planted. Corny–yes–but it’s something I live by.

    Oh, and those announcements that I wished I could hear? Well, at one of the tournaments, another barefooter said to me,  “You’re lucky you can’t hear Dave (the announcer) — he goes on and on and on– sometimes I wish I could turn my ears off.”

    The grass is always greener…

     

  • Corey Axelrod, Marketing Communications

    Corey Axelrod

    Tell me about your job/business.

    Synergetic Business Solutions is a marketing communications firm that offers cutting-edge, goal oriented business operations and marketing tools for small and mid-size businesses.  Services include website design and development, Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing, graphic design, and social media design and development.  As the owner of Synergetic Business Solutions, my responsibilities are all-encompassing as I provide assistance to businesses and individuals all across the board.  From website design to social media design/development, my goal is to help clients create synergy through all aspects of their business, hence the name Synergetic Business Solutions.  While we are not equipped to handle aspects other than marketing, our focus is to integrate each component of our clients’ business by aligning business/marketing strategies, messages, and design.

    For the past two and a half years, I’ve also worked at Hager Productions, a video production company specializing in the production of promotional and marketing videos.  I originally started out as the Director of Marketing and Sales and was promoted to the Director of Strategy and Business Development.  There, my responsibilities revolve around overseeing the marketing and sales arms of the company.

    How did you get into this line of work?

    When I decided to go to business school for my undergraduate degree, my plans were to get my Bachelors in Business Management and then go to law school.  Things changed when I was selected to participate in a competition for a ‘dream co-op’ position at ESPN.  Even though I was not selected for the dream co-op, I was selected as a semi-finalist and was charged with presenting in front of ESPN executives and executives from other organizations.  The task revolved around marketing strategies for ESPN with several local Rochester organizations.  This experience was my first true experience with marketing and truly opened my eyes to what marketing really was all about.  I fell in love and decided that instead of going to law school, I would get my MBA (graduated in 2010 with a concentration in Marketing and Sales Management).

    What is the best part of your job?

    The best part of my job is taking a problem and solving it and then seeing the gratitude from my customers.  Marketing is so complex and it is not like mathematics in which you can take a simple algorithm and solve the problem.  There are unique situations and factors that need to be considered when deciphering the issue at hand.  The best compliment I’ve received is a referral.

    What are some of the challenges of your job?

    There are a number of challenges with my field – first and foremost, as I mentioned previously, marketing is not simple as you can’t take 1 + 1 and get the results you need.  It takes time to figure out strategy and implementation plans, and this is not an overnight process.  Patience is often a virtue when it comes to marketing.  Another challenge that compounds this issue is that technology is always improving/changing.  It can become difficult to keep up with the changes and advancements – clients depend on me for answers and if I don’t know them, I need to find them rather quickly.

    What was it like growing up deaf/hard of hearing?

    Growing up hard of hearing really wasn’t much of a big deal to me – I had deaf parents and deaf grandparents (on my mother’s side).  Being a part of the ‘deaf world’ was natural to me.  Being a part of the ‘hearing world’ wasn’t as easy, though.  There were the usual pickings in which I was picked on for having a hearing loss (most often evident while playing sports).  But intellectually, I always knew  that I was equal to my hearing peers – this was a byproduct of family always urging me on to succeed and providing the necessary support system for me at home.

    What advice would you give a deaf/HH person who is looking for a career like yours?

    The best advice I can give a deaf/HH person who is looking for a career like mine is to reach out to someone who has ‘been there, done that.’  I wish I did this because I would have learned more about marketing before getting into the space.  I feel as if I went into my MBA without much experience and really could have used a true mentor in the space.  While I am happy where I am today, I believe I may have done things differently that could have advanced me further in my career.

  • Unwrap Your Passion, And Happiness Will Follow

    (Originally posted as a guest blog on Happiness Inside, which is now closed)

    Earlier this year, I pursued a passion that was long buried inside of me. I didn’t even realize how long it was buried until I began to unwrap it on my 44th birthday last year.

    I was sitting on the pontoon at my parent’s lake, thinking back to some of the best memories of my life. I was rather down at that moment, so I wanted to conjure up some memories that included some happy times. I thought back to my teen years. I learned to water ski on my bare feet shortly after my sixteenth birthday. What a thrill that was! I spent the next three years barefooting with the guys on Christie Lake. Every single time that I went out on the water, I was happy.

    One day, when I was nineteen, I decided to go out and practice some wake crossings. I caught a toe and slammed into the water in a not-so-graceful cartwheel. In an instant, I went from hard of hearing to deaf. When I climbed into the boat and started talking to my friends, I couldn’t hear myself talk. I just figured that I had water in my ears and that the hearing I had left would return.

    It didn’t.

    At first, adjusting to being deaf was a horrible struggle. There were many days and nights that I cried. One day, I came to the realization that I could either do battle every day, or I could embrace this new identity as a deaf person and get on with life. From that moment, another passion was unwrapped. I learned American Sign Language and a rich world opened up filled with deaf and hard of hearing friends. Happiness arrived with that new-found passion. Most of my career since graduating from college has centered around helping others who are deaf and hard of hearing. I started and ran a non-profit organization, Illinois Hands and Voices and began providing mentoring services through the state’s Early Intervention program. Along the way, I uncovered a passion for birth and I attended several home and hospital births as a doula. Every birth filled me with incredible happiness inside.

    Fast forward to October of last year: my husband sent me a link to the Today Show segment featuring Judy Myers, a 66-year-old woman who learned to barefoot water ski at the age of 53. I connected with her and she invited me to come to the World Barefoot Center to learn to barefoot again. The very moment that I put my feet on the water, I was filled with incredible joy. The sport that had brought both happiness and sadness in my life was now filling me with happiness again.

    img_4812

    At the World Barefoot Center, I met Keith St. Onge, the owner and a two-time World Barefoot Champion. Keith learned to barefoot at the age of ten and by time he was thirteen, he knew he wanted to follow his passion for the sport. He has competed since he was eleven, turned pro at eighteen and runs the ski school and a wetsuit company. The sport has brought him all over the world and he has been featured on ESPN, CNN and in several magazines.

    “Barefoot water skiing is my passion—it’s what I wanted to do since I was thirteen,” Keith shared. “I wanted to be the greatest. I wanted to be a pro the same way that young kids want to be a fireman. And I get to fuel my passion every day. When I’m on the water on my bare feet—it’s a feeling of complete freedom. When you fuel your passion–passion brings happiness—they feed off each other.”

    I recently had the opportunity to talk with Keith’s mom, Jackie St. Onge and I asked her to share her thoughts on passion.

    “Passion is your joy,” Jackie explained. “It is the essence of who you are. You have to unwrap it and find it. Some people find it easier than others. The body and the mind and the soul become one when you find your passion. Passion comes naturally to a person. It is like running water: turn on the tap and it flows.”

    Passion and happiness are intertwined. When you discover your passion and incorporate it into your life, happiness follows. If you’re not sure how to answer the question, “What is your passion?” you can find the answer by reflecting on the happy and joyful times in your life. What fires you up? What feeds your soul? What puts a smile on your face in the morning and a deep sense of satisfaction and joy when your head hits the pillow at night?

    Passion is inside each and every one of us. Unwrap yours.


    Copyright Karen Putz, November 2010

    Are you new here? Subscribe to receive the next post and other goodies: Yes, I want more PASSION in my life!

  • 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