job$ somebody's gotta do...
job$ somebody's gotta do is a tribute to the late Indianapolis broadcaster, Jim Gerard, and his radio feature, Sounds of the City, heard weekly on WFBM-AM debuting in 1962. The host interviewed people with jobs held by very few, such as a jackhammer or crane operator, or, language interpreter.
Jenny Schwartz is an occupational therapist who has her Masters from Spalding University.
Did you play sports in college?
Yes, I did, she said. I went to Bellarmine for my undergrad and I played volleyball throughout college.
So, physical fitness has always been a part of your life.
Yes, and, it still is important to me, Jenn agreed.
Tell me about your family.
Craig is my husband, best friend, my biggest cheerleader and my partner in crime, she smiled. He owns a commercial construction company and is so very talented. My son Brandon is 23 and works with Craig. He's learning to be a project manager. My daughter, Keira, is 16 and a junior in high school, She enjoys playing football, tennis and lacrosse.
Parenting can take some interesting turns.
Absolutely, it's challenging at times, but, it is the most rewarding and fulfilling job I've ever had.
Did you always know you wanted to be an occupational therapist?
No, I didn't, she replied. Growing up, I thought I wanted to be a large animal veterinarian. But, life has its way of showing you that this is not the path the good Lord intended for you. I was meant to help people when they needed it most.
What was your first job out of college?
Right out of school, I worked in a Level 1 Trauma Hospital and saw everything from burns, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and various orthopedic and hand injuries, she related.
That had to be a great foundation for what was to come.
It was, and, I am grateful for the experience, Jenn said. Since then, I have worked in pediatrics, outpatient spinal cord, hand therapy, and, in a community-based setting working with folks with various disabilities.
Besides hand therapy, which is how we met, you have other things going on.
I am not your typical OT, she smiled. I work at Kleinert Kutz Hand Center. I also work for a contract company serving adults with disabilities, and, I have my own pediatric practice. I do all the billing, insurance, and, treatment. I go into homes and treat children. Watching people succeed after therapy is the reason I went into this work.
And, to make sure you are kept busy all hours of the day and night, you sell real estate.
What a plot twist, she grinned. I sell commercial real estate and I love the out of the box thinking and creativity that goes along with that. It's challenging and exciting to see new life in an old space.
Sum up your schedule for me so I have a clear picture.
I work at Kleinert Kutz Hand Therapy Center two days a week, she summarized. I also work for a dear friend of mine who is the owner of Partners in Communication for my community contract work. My therapy practice is called All Abilities Therapy Group and I started that six years ago. And, for the past two years, I have worked out of Parks and Weisberg Realtors in the Commercial Real Estate Department.
What are some of the positives of your therapy work?
The biggest personal reward for me is helping somebody, she said. I know that sounds cheesy, but, it's really what drives me. We all need a little help sometime and I feel my greater purpose in this life is to help others.
Can you give me an example of an emotionally tough case you have worked?
Oh, there are so many over the years, she lamented. I have seen some people at their absolute lowest. Folks that shouldn't even be here, but, their life was spared and they were given a second chance. I've seen people lose everything they thought was important to them and I have attended many, many funerals. But, for every difficult case, there are 10 equally unbelievable cases. The human body is capable of amazing things. It's quite beautiful by design.
Have you ever had a patient refuse to come back for therapy after their first session?
I've had many patients not come back for one reason or another, she offered. I used to take it personally, but, now I realize there is more on people's plates than therapy. I want to work with people who want to improve. Patients have to buy into the plan and make therapy a priority. If they aren't willing to do that, I can't help them.
What is the longest period of time you have worked with the same patient?
At the hand clinic a year and a half, she revealed. In my community setting, I have worked with a wonderful man off and on for 14 years. He has autism and he has changed my life. He has taught me just as much as I have taught him and his progress over the years is astounding. Some of the kiddos I've worked with for over 10 years. They have things like Down Syndrome, autism, and rare chromosome disorders.
What would you like to be doing 10 years from now?
10 years from now, I would like to be traveling more, and, spoiling my mom and mother in law, she confessed. I'd like to have my dream house on some acreage and enjoying the peace. I'd like to be working parttime and have multiple investment properties that grant me financial security in old age.
What about travel? Do you enjoy going places?
I love to travel, but, now, all I have time for is traveling for sports with my daughter, which is fine because they are wonderful memories, she told me. I also consider this stage in my life to be the work your tail off chapter.
Do you think of yourself as a role model?
That's a hard question, she thoughtfully answered As a parent, it is my job to be a role model and teacher for my children. It's my job to teach them how to be good people. Productive adults, Prepare them for a world that has evil and hate, but, still show them how to find the love, kindness and good amidst it all. I think most days I do a good job, but, the reality is, it is always a work in progress.
How about a bucket list? Do you have one?
I do, she smiled, and, at the top is to travel more and spoil the people I love. I'd also really love to have that horse I've dreamed of owning.
How do you look at your career so far?
My therapy has accomplished amazing things over the years, she reflected, and I am so blessed to have been there every step of the way. I get to go to birthday parties, graduations, celebrate every small victory along the way, and, I even got to have a first beer with one of my patients.
Jenn, I wish you continued success and I hope you give that horse a cool name.
Thanks for doing this, she smiled.
Coming up: another oddities, observations, & ?'s; a dinner with the George Brothers, and; an interview with a woman who just returned from a six weeks vacation in Israel.
And, finally. Why didn't I think of it?!
According to the New York Post, a banana duct taped to a wall has been sold for $120,000. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan bought a piece of the fruit at a local supermarket and then slapped it on a white wall at the Perrotin Parisian gallery during a VIP preview party,
A French collector then bought the piece — titled “Comedian” — for its listed price, and a second edition later sold at the same price to a man from the same country.
HUH? What's up with that?
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