Today’s the last part of my interview with the most famous deaf mom blogger, Karen Putz of A Deaf Mom Shares Her World, who I will have the honor and privilege of meeting at SOBCon08 in Chicago, taking place in about six weeks.   (See Part I if you haven’t seen it)

I can’t wait!

Without further ado, let’s welcome Karen back to Adversity University’s interview program.  The second series is reputed to be a bit more difficult because it goes in a bit deeper and asks questions that some people might be reluctant to answer.

But not Karen!

She goes right at it with gusto - see for yourself!

10.  What do you consider your proudest achievement in life?

I helped another mom have her baby at home in a waterbirth.  We met online after my youngest son was born at home.  She had two previous children via cesarean, just as I did.  We became friends and she asked me to be her doula (birth helper) for this birth.    She labored all night on and off, with her husband and I switching with each other to support her.  In the morning, labor picked up and the hubby called the midwife but she was an hour away.  I could see the baby moving down and I knew it was getting close and asked the husband if he was ready to catch.  The midwife walked in and a few minutes later, my friend was holding her baby girl in her arms.  The pure joy and incredible happiness on her face is something that I will never forget.

Stephen’s Response:  I had no idea you experienced that!  I’ve never heard of waterbirth.  I’ve heard people having babies at home with the help of a midwife, but a “water birth”?  Interesting words.

11.  We all have a dark side, what’s yours?

I’m unorganized.  Every year, I vow to conquer the mess in my life, and every year, it piles up again.  I’ve tried several organization methods, bought files, attempted to keep a calendar and set reminders.  I suspect that I have a very short attention span.  I also hate to clean.  I dream of someday being able to have enough money in the bank account to justify having a cleaning service.

Stephen’s Response:  I can certainly relate but I’m the type of guy who cannot put up with it any more and go through a mad rampage of cleaning, throwing out stuff I no longer have any use for.  There’s nothing like the power of a clean desk - it makes me feel lighter somehow.  My Mom told me that as a youngster, I never had a problem throwing away something I no longer had any use for.  Therefore, I was a kid with the cleanest bedroom in the neighborhood!  But sometimes I let things get out of hand and my desk gets covered with mountains of paper.  ICK!

12.  At Adversity University, I often talk about the value of changing our perceptions in order to deal with adversity.  How have you dealt with adversity in your life?  Give us specific examples of adversity and what you did to overcome them.

When I was growing up, I often did everything I could to hide my hearing loss.  I bluffed my way through conversations and tried to pretend that everything was ok.  I hid my hearing aid under my hair.  As a result, many of my friends did not understand how much I was missing out. One day, I was barefooting (waterskiing on bare feet) with two other guys around the lake.  As we were in the water waiting for the boat to return, they tried to have a conversation with me.  Without my glasses, I couldn’t lipread them.  Later that night, one of my friends came up to me and shared that the guys had no clue I was “that deaf” until that day.  Ironically, that summer, I became profoundly deaf–I could no longer hear anything without the hearing aid.  Those two incidents together, helped change the way I presented myself to the world.  I came to terms with being deaf, learned American Sign Language and broadened my world to include deaf and hard of hearing people from all walks of life.  I no longer hide my hearing aids — in fact, I now have earmolds with blue sparkles in them!

Stephen’s Response:  Good God!  This is exactly the same kind of story that I’ve experienced.  I can certainly relate.  The days of pretending that I could hear are over because of the James Bond Lady fiasco!

13.  What would you say was the defining moment that forever changed the course of your life?  For example, was it someone who made an impact on you or was it a spiritual revelation?

It wasn’t the day that I became deaf that changed my life, it was the day that I set foot on the co-ed floor at Northern Illinois University.  It was there that I met deaf and hard of hearing students and my entire life changed.  It was a heck of an adjustment though– because I was grieving the loss of my hearing and I spent some time crying in my room.  The one person that I shared it with– my first roommate, ended up moving out.  By the end of the first semester, I began learning American Sign Language and a whole new world opened up to me. I stopped grieving and started living.  For the first time in my life, I learned what it was like to have a free flowing conversation and be an equal participant in a group of people.  I began to use interpreters in my classes and I had access to classroom information in ways that I never experienced before.  I made many friends at NIU who are still my friends today.

Stephen’s Response:  In other words, you began to accept your fate, knowing there was nothing you could do about the hearing loss but that you could readjust, refocus and set yourself on a new path.  That’s POWERFUL.    What a great example you are to others!

14.  What 3 books, blogs and/or mentors have influenced you and why?

One book that always stands out in my mind is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.”  I always ask myself, “Will this matter ten years from now?” when I’m deep into something stressful.

Another book that I enjoyed immensely is Roger Crawford’s “How High Can You Bounce?”  I think Adversity University readers would enjoy that book too.  It’s about overcoming adversity and resiliency.

I just finished “Attitude is Everything,” by Keith Farrell and this is another book that lines right up with how I view life.  We can choose our attitudes towards the events in life and make changes.

Blogs and mentors are a tough one to keep to just three.  Stephen, you are one of my mentors in the blog world and I’ve very much enjoyed connecting with you and learning from you.  Wendy Piersall, the gal behind Emoms at Home is another.  Outside of the blog world, I have to name Leeanne Seaver and Janet DesGeorges– these two dynamite moms and the engines behind Hands & Voices are my best mentors in my journey raising three deaf and hard of hearing kids.  They’ve been by my side for the last several years and have enriched my life so much.

Stephen’s Response:  Gasp, sputter, cough, well, thank you for naming me as one of your mentors in the blogging world.  It is my pleasure to have helped you in any way I could.  I’ve learned from my own mentors about the power of giving back and reaching out just as they had done with me.   I still have the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” book - I loved it.  I’ll have to check out the other books you mentioned, including Roger Crawford’s.  Interestingly enough, Roger and I have been emailing back and forth lately and he’s reaching out to me in incredible ways to help me make the right connections in the speaking world.  I’m grateful to him for this.  His book is definitely on my list to buy.  I’m going to need a HUGE library - I’m running out of room on my tiny bookshelf!

15.  Name the top 5 articles from “A Deaf Mom Shares Her World” that you believe readers at Adversity University would benefit from.

• It’s No B.S. Mom, I Love You Too!
• A Mother-Son Bonding Moment
• A Friendship Cut Short
• I MacGuyver’d the Snowblower!
• Ten Hearing Aids - Never a Dull Moment

Stephen’s Response:  If someone were to demand that I pick one story out of the five that I’ve read, I’d have to say with great difficulty (because they’re all great, touching stories) that the Ten Hearing Aids story had me in stitches when I learned the family puppy put in a “nice bite mark” on one of the hearing aids that was left out on the patio steps.  It was hilarous - I think you’ll enjoy it, especially if you’re not deaf because it’ll give you a glimpse into that world if you’ve never met anyone with a hearing loss, especially an entire family!

16.  What do you hope God will have to say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Wow, you look great for a 120-year-old!

Stephen’s Response: That one had me laughing too - you’re so funny!

17.  We all have our likes and dislikes.  What would you say turns you on and what turns you off?  Give the first answer that comes to your mind without censoring or editing it.

I really like people who can go beyond labels and see the bigger picture.  People who put down other people completely turn me off.

Stephen’s Response:  Amen to that - we definitely need to move beyond labels and bring people together.  I am hoping this year America will elect a rare politician who has the ability to close the gap and help America heal.  I am praying and hoping America will choose the right person.

18.  What is your favorite word?  Least favorite?

Oh, without a doubt:  chocolate!

Least favorite:  Any word that puts down people.

Stephen’s Response:  Well, if you ever go to a town in Peensylvania called Lititz, there’s a place called Cafe Chocolate!  I’ve never been there but I heard about it in a book I just finished reading (”The Celebrity Experience” - I will be raving about this book in a video post very soon).  The mission of this cute, quaint cafe is “Chocolate For Life” - imagine that!  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and chocolate is served every day!  Selina is the lady who owns it.  Like me, she once worked on Wall Street for 10 years until a midlife crisis forced her to re-evaluate her priorities and eventually opened up this shop.

19.  What’s next for Karen Putz?

Well, I’m saving up for a jet ski, a totally materialistic, selfish goal.  I’ve wanted a jet ski for a while now but haven’t pursued the saving until now. The jet ski fund currently has a few coins in it but one of these days…  Want to come for a ride?

I have another blog that I’m currently working on, Jobs, Careers and Callings. (www.deafhhcareer.com) I’m rounding up interviews with deaf and hard of hearing people from all over and I hope to expand that site.  I grew up without deaf and hard of hearing role models, and I want the kids today to see that there are deaf and hard of hearing people in all walks of life and every profession.

And like everyone else in the blogosphere, I would love to write a book.  I have fantasies of being able to go off to a writer’s colony somewhere in the mountains with two blissful weeks focused on writing.

Stephen’s Response:  Sure, I’d love to hop on.  I love those things.  I’ve used them a few times in the past - they’re a lot of fun.  Your new site sounds very promising and ideal.  I can certainly attest to the fact that many of us (myself included) have not had deaf or hard of hearing role models so that’s really important.  As for writing a book, hey, why not?  You’re funny, you’re original and you have a gusty style.

20.  And finally, but not least, where can we find out more about you?

I believe Google has the dirt on Karen Putz.  Or would that be Dogpile.com?

Stephen’s Response:  Well, there you go again.  What a sense of humor!

Turning to the audience:  My gosh, was that a hoot or what?  I hope you enjoyed having Karen as a guest.  Be sure to stay tuned about her experience with the Steak n’ Shake fallout.  It reads almost like a soap opera.  Last I heard, she and a lawyer are trying to get the company to install accessible drive-in equipment to give everyone an opportunity to order from the order-taker machine.

The next couple of posts will include a RAVE review of a book I just finished reading, “The Celebrity Experience” that absolutely bowled me over.  It was so good, so effective that I’m doing a book review on video for the first time.  I’m also going to give you an update on the telephone conversation I had with the man behind the BeTheNextBestSellingAuthor.com video competition that I had won.  If you’re new here, you can get an update here.

Until the next time, enjoy yourselves!

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