Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: writing

  • When You Hit The Rough Season in Life

    This winter was a tough one for me. I found myself dragging through the days. I didn’t want to get out of bed on some mornings. My energy was at a low point. My well-meaning, caring friends suggested a light box to get me through the gray days. No one said the dreaded word, “depression,” but it was pretty darn close. “Seasonal Affective Disorder”, they said.

    I stopped writing.

    There were several books in the works, but I couldn’t get myself “in a writing mood.” The muse left and didn’t want to return. I was perplexed, as we had moved to a new place and things had settled down into a comfortable pace, yet I found myself complaining left and right about little things.  I was turning into a grumpy woman and my husband was losing a bit of patience here and there.  I found myself grieving for the people I had lost in a short time–my mom, my nephew, my friends Patti and Peggy. Grief that had been stuffed down now poured forth freely. I was going to bed earlier and staying in bed longer. The pounds were packing on.

    Then the spring came.

    Like a blossom that unfolds overnight, I found myself with new energy and a new outlook. Can it really be that simple–that light and growth change everything?

    Indeed.

    To everything there is a season.

    For some of us, the season is counted in years. For others it is days or months. For each of us, it is a journey. It’s often when one season shifts to another that we find the shift of energy as well.

    I know I have much to be grateful for and when I drift from that state of gratitude, that’s when the darkness creeps in.

    A short time ago, I attended a Passion Summit. It was a breath of fresh air, the springtime boost that I desperately needed. A speaker, Hal Elrod, took the stage. Hal is the author of The Miracle Morning and he generously gave out a copy of his book to every participant. If you have not heard of Hal or read his book, I so recommend it. His podcasts have transcripts. His book is a life-changer. I started implementing his miracle morning steps shortly after the conference and it has made a huge difference. There are days when I don’t follow it and I give in to the sweet indulgence of staying in bed just a little longer–and I pay the price in a sluggish morning.

    During the summit, Hal shared his story–of dying in a car accident and being revived, of having his career come to a huge debt-ridden dip, and of being diagnosed with cancer literally overnight. The Miracle Morning process has changed the way he lives his life–putting many things in perspective and giving him extra hours in the day so that he can have even more meaningful time later.

    Sometimes it takes someone else’s story to “wake us up.” My sister in law was recently diagnosed with cancer. A friend’s daughter was diagnosed with a cancer entailing her spine. A barefoot water skier was recently killed in a boat race accident.

    Just like that, life can take a turn down a road we never expected. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, we can’t assume that it will be there day after day. We must cherish with gratitude each day that we do have.

     

    ****I recently had the opportunity to speak at the Ziglar Legacy Conference in Dallas. The story I shared was a reminder not only for the audience, but it was a reminder that I needed for myself. When adversity strikes or we are going through a rough season in life, we have control over three things: our response to our thoughts, our attitudes, and our actions: When Adversity Strikes.

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She is the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want. 

     

     

  • The Ricky Martin Email I Almost Deleted

    piccolo universe logo

    “High Profile Blogging Opportunity with Ricky Martin.”

    That was the subject line of an email that showed up in my inbox as I attempted to whittle down the proverbial pile.

    Yeah right, that’s spam, I thought. I moved the cursor to delete it.

    But something stopped me.

    I thought back to the time an editor from the Chicago Tribune contacted me and invited me to write a weekly column for the local section. It was fun seeing my articles in print each week. What if this was a similar opportunity? My intuition prompted me to open the email.

    Sure enough, it was a legitimate proposal to write parenting articles for Ricky Martin’s Piccolo Universe. It also lead to an opportunity to do some writing work for Walgreens as well.

    (So there’s a lesson there–listen to your intuition!)

    I knew very little about Ricky Martin when I started, other than a vague memory of Menudo and his song, Living la Vida Loca. Over the last year, I’ve learned more about Ricky and discovered a man with a heart centered around kindness and a penchant for inspirational quotes. He’s the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino. He has a foundation dedicated to helping children around the world.

    ricky martin tweets

    ricky martin tweets 2

    ricky martin tweets 3

    It’s been a fun writing project because it ties two of my passions together: writing and kids. So if you’re looking for some parenting advice and articles, dive in:

    Water Safety for Kids

    Creative Ways to Teach Your Child to Read and Make Reading Fun

    Fun Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy Through Winter

    Meditation Moments: How to Create Calm in the Midst of Crazy Days

    How to be a Powerful Parent on the IEP Team

    Teach Your Baby to Communicate in Sign Language

    Five Smoothies to Kick Start your Day

    Getting Your Newborn Baby to Sleep

    What You Should Know About Your Child’s Hearing

    Marriage and Parenthood: Finding the Romance Again and Again

    Skip the Typical Florida Attractions: Five Fun Things to Do with Your Kids

    Scary Parenting Moments: Preparing Your Teen for the Driving Test

    Your Baby is Born and You’re Depressed. Now What? 

    How Not to Freak When Your Kid Brings Home a Snake

    Having the Courage to Parent YOUR Way

    Mason Jars: Ditch the Plastic and Use Glass Instead

    Concussions in Kids, What Parents Should Know

    The Sandwich Juggle: Caring for Parents While Parenting Your Own Children

     

     

  • Writing for the Chicago Tribune TribLocal

    The email came out of the blue.  It was titled, “DeafMom Tweets.”  It was from Amy Alderman, a staff reporter and producer from the Chicago Tribune TribLocal.

    “Dear Karen,” she wrote. “I just wanted to write to say I really enjoy your tweets. By any chance, are you based in the Chicago suburbs? I work as a reporter and producer for the Chicago Tribune’s TribLocal online and print news, and I’m looking for new bloggers for our sites.”

    Would I be interested?

    I love when new opportunities like that pop up.  So I said yes.  I was a little scared to take on more work at a time when I was completely overwhelmed, but writing for the Chicago Tribune TribLocal has been fun.  I have been writing online and in print for various publications for years, but there’s something about being able to pick up the newspaper on a Thursday morning and see an article in there that I’ve written–well, that just puts a smile on my face.

    This week, I wrote about how Facebook and Twitter have brought me many wonderful opportunities to meet people online and face-to-face.  I had a blast barefooting with Dan Tanis and Jeff Hoekstra on Cedar Lake:

    Here are the three articles printed so far:

    Karen Putz Debuts on TribLocal

    Barefoot Water Skiing with a Senior Citizen

    Adventures with Facebook and Twitter

    More to come!

  • Goodbye to Chicago Moms Blog, Hello to The Chicago Moms

    For the last two years, I have been writing for the Chicago Moms Blog, a network of blogs owned by the Silicon Valley Moms group.  When I first came across the blog almost three years ago, I said to myself, “I want to write for them someday!” The blog network included Katie Couric from the New York Moms blog.

    That someday came when Beth Blecherman, the co-founder, responded to a comment that I left on a disability blog post that she wrote and she sent me an email.  “Your blog is fantastic and inspirational,” she wrote.

    And… would I like to write for the SV Valley Moms network, she asked.

    Of course, the answer was yes. My first post was “When Your Only Option is a Thong.” As a result of that post, I’ve endured countless thong jokes and every now and then Vicki slings me a thong virtually on Twitter.  No amount of money will entice me to wear a thong.  Ever. Again.

    The Chicago Moms Blog gave me the opportunity to have three of my posts syndicated in newspapers around the country.  To have a post selected for syndication was quite an honor, as only a few posts were selected from the many posts each week.

    I also had the opportunity to connect with the Chicago Moms at several area events, including a special meetup of the Chicago Moms:

    In a surprising turn of events, we learned that the Chicago Moms Blog and the entire network of SV Moms  would no longer be active.  It was a heartbreaking announcement for everyone.  Out of sad news came good news: The Chicago Moms website was born.

    Stay tuned!  I’ll still be around as a Chicago Mom and will continue to write.  I promise not to sling any thongs on the new site.

  • Uncovering Written Memories

    I was going through a pile of papers and the hand-written essay caught my eye.  It was an essay written during my freshmen year at a local community college.   I sat down to read it and was instantly transported back in time.  I received an “A” on this essay, probably not so much for how it was written (because I see many mistakes and ways it could be written differently) but more for the story it shared:

    Even now, seven years later, I can still remember the first time I met Mike.  I was eleven years old when we drove up to our newly bought cottage.  As we settled down, a slightly balding man walked over and introduced himself as Mike.  That was the beginning of a special friendship that was rather slow in forming [at first].

    I cannot remember much of the first four years.  I was a very shy girl then, but Mike’s friendliness won me me over.  I was like a turtle, coming out of my shell when Mike was around.

    The shell really broke when I began to show a serious interest in [water]skiing.  Mike’s son used to waterski competitevely and Mike used his knowledge to encourage me.  He gave me the encouragement that I wanted so much from my own parents.

    He taught me a card game called “Casino” and we spent many a time together winning and losing to each other.  He was dubbed “The Champ,” and whenever I would win a game, I would  [strut around and] call myself, “The Champ.”  But never for long, because he would win back the title in the next game.

    Mike had a great sense of humor.  I always remember summers full of laughter around him.  He would put on airs of a big-time gambler, strutting around wearing his favorite hat from Las Vegas.  The expressions he used, his movements, never failed to bring out a laugh.

    There was a serious side to him.   Family bickerings always clouded his face.  He never let anyone know what he was thinking or how he really felt during those days.

    This summer, Mike got sick.  I hardly saw him during the summer.  No one knew it was serious until his son-in-law told us that Mike had cancer.  I was stunned.

    A few weeks after I found out, I went to see Mike in his office.  I was shocked, for he had grown thin and pale.  It was the first time that I realized he was not going to get better.  It was the last time I saw him.

    Mike died last week and I lost a very special friend.  As I sat in the church at his funeral, I thought of the good times and the bad times.   I replayed his smile, his laugh, and all the scenes of summer that came to my mind.  One particular scene stands out:

    I remember him standing under the maple tree and telling me that I was going to be the first girl to barefoot (waterski on my bare feet) on Christie Lake.  I laughed at him then.  Early this summer, I did it–but Mike was not around to share the glory [that first time].  When he finally came to the lake for a short visit, he sat in the boat and saw me barefoot.  I’ll never forget the proud look on his face.  That was the best memory Mike could have given me.

    Karen and Mike
    Karen barefooting

                       

  • Karen Putz and Amy Derby Do Lunch

     I don’t remember who suggested it first, but I found myself writing down “lunch with Amy Derby” on my calendar last week.   Yesterday, I headed out to her town to pick her up.

    I’m bad with directions, she wrote.  You might want to Mapquest it.

    I’ve got a navigator in my van,  I told her.  I’m sure I can find it.

    I dutifully followed the directions and found myself lost.  The numbers didn’t match up.  Thank goodness for good ‘ole texting, as I found Amy a quarter mile away, standing on a street corner hammering away at her iPhone.

    Meeting someone for the first time is often awkward, but I think Amy and I hit it off pretty quickly.  For one thing, we instantly bonded over hearing aid batteries.  She needed a hearing aid battery and I had a stash of different sizes in my purse.  We headed over to Chilis, but because I was driving and reading lips at the same time, we ended up in the Baker’s Square parking lot.  Neither of us noticed, until we swung open the doors and saw a showcase of pies facing us.  We laughed, and walked next door to Chilis.

    It was heaven to connect with another writer and talk about the daily stuff that’s involved with churning out words.    Heaven to bounce ideas off of someone who could give an honest answer (even if it was, “I don’t know”).  And boy, was it fun to talk about all the people we know on the ‘net and how we got to know them.

    So, if you don’t know Amy Derby, head on over to her blog, Write From Home and take a moment to get to know this sassy, talented writer.

  • Once Upon A Time… I Started Blogging

    On a fine summer day, two years ago in July, I sat down in front of some blogging software. Blogger, it was called. “Why don’t I start my own blog!” I said to myself. I figured it would be nothing more than an online journal where I could entertain my family and my friends.

    Blogger prompted me to select a name to be part of the www.—–.blogspot.com domain. I wanted something unique, something easy to remember and something that would stand out.

    “Putzworld!” I said to myself. “There’s not too many people out there with a last name like Putz!”

    And that’s how www.putzworld.blogspot.com was born.

    Ok, so that wasn’t exactly a brilliant move back then, but you have to admit, it was memorable, wasn’t it? Who forgets a Putz?

    In the last two years, I’ve been having fun with this blog. I’ve been able to share bits and pieces of my life, such as my family’s story of discovering a deaf gene, or how about some waterskiing memories and the fun of raising my kids.   When I had the drive-thru window closed in my face and service denied at the Bolingbrook Steak ‘n Shake, I shared the frustration here on this blog and it spread to many other websites and blogs.

    Along the way, the blog became a little bit of something more. I met so many wonderful people, both online and face-to-face as a result of this blog.  Every morning, I get the chance to Twitter to hundreds of people.  It’s like having a virtual water cooler conversation– something that I don’t normally have access to when conversing in groups without an interpreter.

    The blog opened up some writing opportunities for me. I worked for a writing company for a year, dipping my toes into a whole new kind of writing.  I went to work as a copywriting freelancer for a real estate company, and lasted through just one project and a tiny grammar mistake before I was kindly “let go.”  I still see that real estate company looking for copywriters all the time.

    Last fall, out of the blue, I was contacted by an employee of a new, soon-to-be launched website, Disaboom. Would I come and write for them, they wanted to know. I’ve been writing for Disaboom since they launched and I regularly write feature articles for the site.  Having my own blog also led to writing for Parenting Squad and the Chicago Moms Blog.  My recent article at Chicago Moms Blog, Camp is Over, It’s Back to the Real World, was syndicated in several newspaper websites.  I also have another blog that focuses on deaf and hard of hearing people in different Jobs, Careers and Callings.

    So here it is, two years later and I love writing more than ever and I plan to continue this blog for many more years.   So I’m turning to my readers to learn more about you.  What brings you here?  What keeps you coming back?  Is there something you’d like me to share more of? 

    Let’s talk!

  • Writing Up at Christie Lake

    Calm view of the lake

    I’m up in Michigan this weekend with the hubby and kids, visiting my parents and sister.  I love the view in the morning from the kitchen window– watching the mist on the water evaporate when the sun comes up.  I usually miss this as I sleep late up here, but the oldest kiddo woke me up early– asking where I packed his glasses. He almost never wears them, but this time,  I remembered to bring them along.   Both boys took off in the pontoon to go fishing.

    I always enjoy writing in the kitchen and looking out at the lake.  Dad has several bird feeders in front of the window and we’ve seen so many different varieties of birds.  I especially love watching the cardinals, yellow finches and the occasional woodpecker.  Every now and then, we’ll get a visit from a blue jay.

    When we arrived yesterday, I noticed that my Mom’s peonies were in full bloom.  There’s a bit of a story behind this particular peony bush. 

    One year, Mom decided to move the peony bush to the edge of the property.  She dug up the bush, taking care to keep the root ball intact, and planted it in a different spot.  The following year, it died.  It didn’t make it through the tough Michigan winter. Mom later learned that she chose the wrong time of the year to move it, and peonies don’t move well when they’re dug up.  Mom resigned herself to the fact that she wasn’t going to see those pretty magenta blooms ever again.

    That spring, Mom noticed a tiny sprout in the old spot.  She must have left a little bit of root from the original bush in the ground, and there it was, growing back again.  She can now enjoy the stunning blooms again each year.

    peony flower

     I guess there’s a lesson in here– always make sure you have a backup if Plan A fails.