Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Category: Uncategorized

  • Mary Martone—A Career in Deaf Education

    Mary Martone is the Director of Early Childhood Education at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle.  Mary and I met this summer at the Hands & Voices Leadership Workshop where we sat together along with a few other deaf and hard of hearing participants.  I asked Mary to share about her career and some advice she has for parents raising deaf and hard of hearing children today.

    Mary has a B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology from Gallaudet.  After graduation, she worked as a teacher and then four years later, went back to Gallaudet to obtain a Masters in Deaf Education with a specialization in Secondary English.  “I grew up at the American School for the Deaf in Connecticut,” Mary shared.  “So I’m a product of Deaf Education in a residential school.  However, my mother, now deceased, was very instrumental in my literacy skills.  So I have her to thank.” 

    Mary’s career in teaching spans from the east coast to the west coast.  At Gallaudet, she taught remedial English to the students who did not pass freshman English.  After a year, she began teaching English at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf.  “The professional development at MSSD was great and I had a good group of teachers to learn from and interact with,” said Mary.  “I didn’t just teach.  I got involved with the English Department Placement Team, developing the curriculum, the after-school drama productions, was the chair of the department for three years. It was a fantastic experience.”

    After nine years as an English teacher, Mary was ready for something else.  She took a position as the Summer Program Coordinator at the Gallaudet Honors Program, working under Dr. Richard Meisegier.  During the year, she worked as an Academic Advisor for honor students.

    Mary met the man who would become her husband, and he didn’t like living in Washington D.C.  “He called it the concrete jungle,” she said with a chuckle.  “So we moved to Scranton, PA where I was the Assistant Director of Education at the Scranton School for the Deaf.  Then, I moved to Massachusetts and was the Collaboration Specialist for the Gallaudet University Regional Center in Essex, Massachusetts.  After that, I was an Instructional Supervisor at the New Mexico School for the Deaf.  After that, I was the principal at the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf.” 

    I asked Mary to share which job was her best one and she couldn’t pinpoint just one.  “All of my jobs have been good experiences in different ways and contributed to what I’m doing in my current job.  Each job presented its own challenges which added up and contributes to what I’m doing now.  I have challenges with this job as well.  Each job I’ve had, I have learned new things as well.  I love what I’m doing now and I have a fantastic boss.”

    Mary is a mom to three adult children.  “My first stepson is 35 years old and hearing.  He is a machinist who lives in California with his girlfriend and they have two beautiful children, five year old Vanessa and one year old Ian.  My second is hard of hearing and lives with us.  He is a fantastic artist.  He helps around the house and walks our two dogs.

     “My third is Deaf and autistic,” Mary continued. “We adopted her from India when she was six years and 10 months old.  She is now 23 and is doing well in a supportive living home.  We are working on obtaining training for part-time employment, so she can ‘go to the mall and buy clothes’ as she says in her words.”

    Mary’s advice to parents raising deaf and hard of hearing children today: “From my 30 years of being in Deaf Education, the kids who succeed are the ones whose parents have been involved in their education.  Some kids succeed in spite of lack of parent involvement but the majority succeed because of their parents being involved.  Research shows this, too.”

    And Mary has advice for deaf and hard of hearing children who are considering their path in life: “As for my advice for kids, it’s to have fun, work hard, and follow their hearts in choosing their careers.  The rest will fall into place.  Don’t choose a career because someone tells you should.  Choose a career that you love and can commit to.  The universe will make things happen for you.”

  • The Power of Visualization and the Power of a Number

    People are always asking me why the number “22” is so special to me.  Before I explain why, let me ask you this: have you ever had a goal that was so burning bright that you just HAD to accomplish it?

    I started waterskiing when I was nine years old.  My father came home with an old, yellow boat.  Just like that.  Out of the blue.  He didn’t even discuss boat ownership with my mom.  Included with the boat were a pair of wooden water skis and a ski belt.  A belt, mind you.  None of those fancy molded water ski jackets.  Just a floatation belt.

    My father took my mom, sis and me out to a local lake in Indiana one evening.  None of us knew anything about waterskiing.  I don’t think my father even knew much about running a boat, much less pulling a skier.  I strapped on the skis and I was hooked.  I liked waterskiing.

    I was eleven when my parents bought the place on Christie Lake.   Dad got rid of the yellow boat and bought a cute little red boat.  After a few years of waterskiing and learning to slalom, I had a burning desire to learn to barefoot.  I kept watching the guys (including my  brother) zip around the lake on their bare feet.  There weren’t any other girls barefooting on the lake.  I picked up an issue of Waterskiingand discovered that there was a book by John Gillette called Barefooting.  I used my allowance and sent away for the book.

    I read the book from cover to cover.  I also set a goal: that I was going to barefoot by the end of that summer.  I had just turned sixteen that August.

    The first time I tried it, I planted my foot in the water and kicked off the ski.  Wham!  I tried again and again over several days.  I kept slamming into the water.  I decided to try a different method with a kneeboard.  I dragged my Mom to the local boat shop and begged her to buy a kneeboard.  It was $109– a lot of money back then.  I came home and tried out the kneeboard. The first several tries didn’t work.  I was really frustrated.  I went home and felt really discouraged.

    That night, I lay awake trying to figure out why I couldn’t do it.  I closed my eyes and suddenly visualized myself completing each step in the book.  I imagined how great it would feel to have the board drop away and the water beneath my feet.

    The next day was August 22.  The day that I finally learned to barefoot.

    So the number 22 has stayed with me since then.  Not so much because of the accomplishment, but because of the lesson behind it–the power of visualization.  If you can see yourself accomplishing something, you can do it.  I use the number 22 to remind me to stay on track, to visualize what I want to accomplish.

    How about you?  Have you ever used visualization and had it lead to success?  Do you have a special number that reminds you to accomplish something?

  • Wordless Wednesday–Backyard Sunset

    The view from my backyard, right over the fence.

  • 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!

  • Yes, It’s My Birthday–You Want to See My Present?

    A special thank you goes to all of you for the many Tweets, emails and Facebook comments that everyone left today. Terry Starbucker even sang “Just the Way You Are–” virtually, of course. I’m a sucker for that song.

    The hubby apparently forgot my birthday early this morning before he went to work. He remembered around 9:40 this morning, when he sent a text message. He came home for lunch and left a nice note in front of the computer. My friend Beth took me out to lunch and we did dinner with the in-laws.

    This morning, I was tweeting about my favorite birthday cake, the Red Velvet cake. That cake is a staple in my family and my Mom has made it for many, many birthdays among my siblings and the grandkids. I promised Genevieve Hinson a peek at it:

    Those of you who read this blog faithfully (what do you mean you don’t?  Subscribe, baby!) know that I bought myself the ultimate birthday present recently.  For those of you who don’t know, let me tell you about my present.  It’s a big, gleaming hunk that I can wrap my legs around and ride.  It has different speeds and even accessories that allow me to decide when it goes fast and when it goes slow.  

    Oh no, no, no–get your head out of the gutter.

    Here’s my new toy:

      I figure it’s a lot more satisfying than having an affair.  John Edwards should have bought one.

  • Summer is Flying By

    Ah, it felt good to unplug this week. 

    I took the kids back up to Christie Lake on Sunday to grab the last full week up here.  My cousins came up from Missouri  again and my husband’s friend and his kids joined us on Wednesday.  Mike and his kids only planned to stay two days, but it’s Sunday morning and they’re still here.  We are sitting in the kitchen having omelettes and getting ready for a final boat ride before we head home.  That’s the lure of lakeside living–good food, good friends and lots of fun.  It’s hard to leave.

    Yesterday, for the fun of it, we drove around the lake to see the few homes that are up for sale.  Housing prices on the lake have soared in the last five years.  We stopped at a house that was priced at $900,000 last year and is being offered at $649,000 this summer.  It’s a beautiful piece of property but the house looks like it will require some work to update it.  Also up for sale is a pair of houses that my friend Tammy rented for several years.  The two tiny houses perched on a very tiny lot are going for $349,000.   There’s also another small ranch home up for sale for nearly 300 grand.

    There’s even a beautiful lot for sale for…are you ready for this….$345,000.  This lot is on the same part of the lake that my two brothers owned land many years ago.  They bought the lot for ten grand back then and sold it a few years later for a very small profit.   It’s hard to believe that land has soared that much in price but Christie Lake is a private lake, one of the few private lakes in Michigan with no public access. 

    For the last couple of years, I have been talking about buying a jet ski.  I started looking at used ones earlier in the summer.  I came close to purchasing a few of them, but someone else always beat me to the offer.  “Why don’t you look at a new one?” the hubby suggested.   I stopped at Leader’s Marine in Kalamazoo on the way home from dropping off a Redbox movie and looked at the new ones.  Sea Doo was running a special with low cost financing and a $800 gas card.

    I went to talk to Dick, a 74-year-old neighbor who owned pretty much every toy there is.  He had some ski lifts sitting in the water and I wanted to see if I could buy one.  They’ve gone through three used jet skis.  The most recent one was purchased by his son earlier in the summer and it was already out of commission just a few weeks later.  I was apprehensive about buying used vs. new.  I was leaning toward the new Sea Doo, mostly because it had a key that wouldn’t let a user go over 35 mph.  I could use that for the kids to keep them from going full speed at 50-60 mph.

    “Life is short, go buy it!” Dick said.

    Life is short.  How many times have I said that to other people?

    And that’s how I ended up buying a Sea Doo for my birthday.

  • Embracing the Identity of Being Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    When I was growing up, I wasn’t comfortable being hard of hearing.  I hid my hearing aid under my hair and as soon as I arrived home from school, I tossed it on a ledge.  I never touched the hearing aid during the summer.  You’d almost never find me asserting myself by telling someone, “I’m hard of hearing, I need you to face me when you talk.”  Only among close friends, would I have the courage to say, “What? Repeat that, would ya?”

    So what happens when you’re not comfortable being deaf or hard of hearing?  You hide it.  You do everything possible to “fit in” and “look normal.”  You develop an impressive arsenal of social bluffing skills.  You nod along in conversation, figure out when to put in a thoughtful, “hmmm,” and ask questions that might lead you to a clue in the topic that is firing back and forth in a group.

    When I became deaf at the age of nineteen, I changed in many ways.  I learned American Sign Language and discovered many new deaf and hard of hearing friends for the first time in my life.  Slowly, I tapered off the bluffing.  I learned to take pride in being deaf, to be open about it, to rejoice in this whole journey.  I can’t even begin to describe the differences.  For one thing, you’d never catch me showing off my hearing aids on public television.  Yes, those are my blue earmolds on ABC– aren’t they purty?

    I love stories like this one:  Social Bluffing, by Katie.  In her post, Katie shares:

    I have decided to be more honest with myself and with people I don’t know re: my hearing impairment.  I’ve decided that it is perfectly OK to tell the cashier, the waitress or whomever I’m speaking to that I have a hearing impairment, and could they please talk slower and speak up for me? 

    and:

    In my experience, I’ve also discovered that when you are honest with people and tell them why they need to repeat what they said or word it differently for you, they are more than accommodating in the request.   I am learning to give people more credit than I did in the past, which has allowed me a more positive view of the world.

    In her guest post, Katie shares that she recently began this journey of becoming hard of hearing just a few years ago.  So taking the action to assert herself is part of the path of learning to become comfortable about being hard of hearing and getting the communication access that is needed.  Little by little, confidence comes from taking baby steps and then one day, you find yourself asserting your communication needs with relative ease.

    Just the other day, I received this comment sent via the contact me form on this blog.  I received permission to share it here:

    Hi there Karen

    I am Elias and I am 34yo from way down under 🙂

    All my life i was in denial of my impairment and sort of closed myself from the deaf community. It wasn’t until a personal crisis that forced me to take a deep look inside myself.

    I looked up on the internet for inspiration and help and  i came across Stephen Hopson and it was what i needed. I was amazed to learn he is a pilot and motiovational speaker. The more i read about his life the more inspired i became. He woke me up so much and realised that I can do more for myself. I realise i finally knew what i wanted to do for myself and the world.

    Then i came across your blog and for the past few months i read as many as i can from your blogs. All i can say is wow.

    I wish to say a big thank you for showing me that it is okay to be deaf. I found your blog through Stephen
    When i decided to check out your blog, i was amazed by your life experiences. Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to be deaf.

    I plan to enter the world of Blogging hopefully soon.

    Again thank you!

    Elias

    Thank you, Elias, for sharing your journey with me.  I look forward to reading about your venture into the blogging world.

    You’re right, Elias, it’s ok to be deaf.

  • Carolyn Neumann, Visual Display Specialist

    Carolyn Neumann fell in love with fashion in high school.  She knew she wanted to do something in that field, but wasn’t quite sure what track she wanted to go into–whether it would be management, business or marketing. “I was thinking ‘I do not want a desk job,’” said Carolyn. “I love to move around on my feet all day and I have a high energy level.” 
     
    While attending Southern Illinois University, Carolyn convinced the university bookstore to hire her to do visual displays for their store to boost sales. It was a great success and Carolyn worked there for two years. “I did many window displays and I even had people volunteer to do live displays in the windows.  It was hilarious and fun!”
     
    Carolyn graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and began to work at Pier One in Chicago doing the visual displays, stocking and working as a cashier.  “I stayed there for two years,” said Carolyn. “Then I decided to quit visual display and go into marketing.”  Carolyn worked for four years as a supervisor at the Prism Marketing firm.
     
    In 1996, Carolyn became a Visual Display Specialist for Kohl’s department stores where she is employed today.   “I change all of the mannequins on a weekly basis to keep the merchandise flowing and to help it sell faster,” Carolyn explained.  “I also have to make sure each department has their floor plan set each month with the new merchandise we receive.  We get an average of two truck deliveries each week.  All the walls and floor racks get changed each month.”
     
    Carolyn travels to other local Kohl’s stores to assist the other Visual Display Specialists when needed. Whenever a new Kohl’s store opens up in the Chicago area, Carolyn helps them prepare for their openings. “I traveled to California a few years ago to help them open their stores when they entered the Kohl’s market for the first time.”
     
    Since she cannot hear the overhead intercom, Carolyn carries a pager that her coworkers use to text her when she’s out on the floor working.
     
    When dealing directly with customers, Carolyn occasionally has difficulty understanding what is said and will seek out another sales associate to be of assistance.  “Most of the time, I can understand the customer and help them find what they are looking for. I have had some customer complaints saying that I am stuck up,” Carolyn chuckles. “They do not realize that I am deaf.”

  • Kids At Camp–Mom is Partying!

     Yes, those are my kids at left.  Aren’t they just adorable?  I sent them all off to camp this week.  Of course, they’re a lot older than they look in the photo.

    Last night, the hubby and I broke out the Blackberry wine from St. Julian’s Winery and we watched TV in bed, sipping the fruity stuff.

    We didn’t even have to lock the door!

    This is the fourth year my kids have gone off to the Lions Camp.  It’s only the second time for my youngest son.  The Lions Camp is generously funded by the Lions of Illinois Foundation.  Every year, my kids look forward to their week at camp.  They come home with reams of pictures and stories about their fellow campers.  All of the campers are deaf or hard of hearing, and for some of them, it is the first time they’ve used American Sign Language or hung around other deaf and hard of hearing kids.

    This is the second full day that I get to blast my John Denver music without someone complaining that it is interferring with their TV program.  The second day that I don’t have to order someone to pick up a half-filled glass and an empty wrapper.  There’s no one around to holler at.  Clean your room!  Empty the dishwasher!  Take the dog for a walk!  Stop body-slamming your brother to the floor! 

    I have lots of good intentions of getting work done this week.  The house also needs a serious cleaning and I’m working on an e-book.  I expect my readers to hold me accountable to this.  At the end of the week, be sure to ask me if my house is clean and if I’ve written 5,000 words.

    However, as much fun as I’m having dancing around the house without someone snickering at me, I realize that this is a taste of life to come.  Haven’t I said that before?  This house is gonna be too empty without kids.

    So, kids, go have fun at camp this week and Mom is gonna do the same.  But when you come back on Saturday, it’ll be back to the grind!

     “Hang up your wet towel! How many times do I have to tell you that the maid doesn’t live here?”

  • Thinking of Breaking Up? You Might Get Sued

    I was chatting with a friend this morning and she asked, “Did you hear about the lady who sued her fiance for dumping her and won $150,000?”

    Holy Moly!

    I went on to read another news article about it:

    Jilted Bride Awarded $150,000 after Wedding Called Off

    Jilted Bride Calls $150,000 Settlement ‘Justice’

    I have mixed feelings about this lawsuit. On one hand, life is messy. Feelings change. Relationships can change from one day to the next. People get cold feet about marriage all the time. Does this lawsuit now mean that jilted others can sue left and right for “breaches of promises?”

    The gal’s attorney, Linda Sartain, believes the case will change the way people look at engagements:

    Sartain also told Vieira that she hopes the case sets a precedent that an engagement can be a binding contract: “When you give your word to do something and you cause people to rely on it to their detriment, then you may be held accountable for any damages that you cause.”

     

     

    However, on the other hand, I can understand the gal’s reason for the lawsuit– she gave up her life and moved to be near her fiance–and gave up a job with a nice income. In the article, she says that her fiance never intended to marry her.

    Now this makes me think of a guy that I know who plays with people’s feelings on the internet all the time. He makes up all kinds of stories, telling women that he loves them and wants to marry them. He leads them to believe that he’s very sincere and he plays with several women at the same time.

    So if this gal’s pal is like the sneaky guy I know–then I’d say she deserves even more money from the guy.