CINspirational People
CINspirational People: Avtar Gill
I was reminded this week of Avtar Gill aka ‘The Hat Man’ in Cincinnati, and how he was remembered by a city that embraced him. I got an email out of the blue from a reader of The Cincinnati Herald who had read my editorial. I have written a number of opinion pieces over the years but this one really touched me in a deep way. I had originally written this for my enewsletter in 2014, and I thought I’d share it here too.
Rest in Peace Avtar. Thanks for giving me the gift of this life lesson.
The news is all over the internet. I’ve been reading about it on all of the social networks and traditional news media outlets. Our Greater Cincinnati region lost a beloved symbol of peace, friendship, and civic pride.
Avtar Gill died quietly in the motel room he has called home for many years. It isn’t known whether he had family or what his life was like in his earlier years (at least not that I could find when I searched) but what is known is that he had a huge following.
Dozens showed up this past weekend to memorialize the man known as Cincinnati Hat Man. Hundreds are fans of the Facebook tribute page. And there is talk about how we as a community can more broadly and permanently pay homage to his gifts.
In the final years of his Avtar’s life, he brought smiles to the faces of strangers – thousands of them. If you have attended any large public gatherings downtown, you have more than likely seen him. Dressed in casual slacks and mostly colorful t-shirts, he was always adorned with his signature ball cap attached to a piece of poster board decorated in bright colors with positive messages. Among them – “Mother’s Day: Be proud to be a mother.” “Rejoice. World Choir Games comes to town. Wow!”
He spread good news and welcomed everyone. And he died alone, before telling us his story.
I remember seeing him at events. I remember uplifting billboards. He was hard to miss. But I never said hello. I never asked him his name or why he made it his life mission to quietly spread messages of goodwill. I never told him his signs brightened my day. I never said thank you. Sadly, only now in the wake of his absence, am I learning about the man whose messages of hope and inspiration touched so many in deep, meaningful ways.
How many of you can relate? Why is it that so often we wait until a person is gone to memorialize their gifts? Please don’t get me wrong. I think the outpouring of emotions from people who were impacted by Avtar is beautiful. I have no doubt that Avtar is smiling looking down upon this city right now. I only wish that he could have seen this outpouring of admiration while he was still with us.
In our busy lives, we often go about our routines without taking the time to let others know of their value to us. Or we put off saying what we want to say because there is always later. It isn’t because we don’t care or that others don’t matter. For whatever reason, we just don’t say what is in our heart.
I always say life is one big classroom and every experience is a learning opportunity. Let this remind us that life can be short. None of us know what is in store for our tomorrow. Caring and being there for each other is what makes our time here so special. We need to practice voicing our appreciation.
Our lesson from this if we choose to learn it is to not take our time here for granted. In Avtar’s honor and memory, let’s rejoice in life and in each other. Today, tomorrow, next week and all year, make a point to let others know they are important. Let’s celebrate and cherish gifts in the here and now.
CINspirational People: Tim Timmerman
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
Today, let’s go behind-the-scenes with radio personality Tim Timmerman, currently a co-host with the very popular Jeff & Jenn Morning Show on Q102 (WKRQ) in Cincinnati. I have known Tim for many years and recently ran into him again at an event downtown. Tim came up to me and wanted to know how I was doing, and if there was anything he could do to help. That meant so much to me. It is who Tim is, an all around generous person who enjoys learning about and helping others. I’m glad to have this opportunity to share a little more about him.
Lisa: How did you get started in radio?
Tim: I grew up in Detroit and my dad worked for Pontiac. I remember him taking me with him on a Take Your Kids To Work Day, and thinking, ‘that looked really boring.’ I thought, ‘I’ve got to do something really fun with my life.’ I’ve been in radio now for about 18 years. After high school, I got a job at a station and have been in the business ever since.
Lisa: What do you enjoy the most about your profession?
Tim: I like that there really are not two days the same and I get to meet so many different people. What I also get a lot of fulfillment from is how we get to help people tell their story whether it is a charity event or a caller wanting to share part of a day. I use my job to do some really cool things for people.
Lisa: Can you give us some examples?
Tim: Sure. One time a listener called in to share a story of his coach who needed a kidney. By our talking about it on air, other people started calling in and we found a kidney donor. That was really a neat moment. I never thought when I came in to work that day, that something like that was about to happen.
And one year, after the Flying Pig Marathon, a man called in to share his story. He was making good time until at the very last mile his ankle snapped. A young woman who was also in the race carried him to the finish line, and once they crossed the line, she made sure he got help before leaving without giving him her name. He wanted to find out who she was. One of her friends heard the story, reached out to her, and we did a conference call for the two of them to meet. We then coordinated with the Marathon organizers to re-
Cincinnati radio personality Tim Timmerman worked with the Flying Pig Marathon to help this runner finish the race
create his finish. We went to the exact spot, had the finish line up and when he crossed the line, gave him a medal. That woman was there too. That was really neat.
Lisa: Who is someone who has been an influence on you?
Tim: There have been a few folks who have taken me under their wing like Jim Scott and Patty Marshall, who is my current boss.
Lisa: What are some things that they taught you?
Tim: They really encouraged me to think outside of the box and push myself into areas I was afraid to go. Getting a real estate license is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time, and with their encouragement, I signed up at Honduras College, studied and did it. I’ve had my license since April and I have sold six homes since then.
Lisa: Do you have a motto that you try to follow?
Tim: Well, one thing is that it is better to beg for forgivessness than ask for permission. The more I am on air the more I believe that. If you ask for permission, you may knit pick why you shouldn’t do something and then you may not do it and you may regret it. If you just say, ‘I’m not worried about being stupid, making mistakes or falling down. I’m just going to do it,’ then you will do great things.
You need to make things happen yourself. I taught radio at the Ohio Center for Broadcasting and Ie always told the students, ‘no one will hold your hand and make things happen. You’ve just got to hustle and make stuff happen.’
Lisa: What are some of your simple pleasures in life?
Tim: I enjoy being with friends whether we are just hanging out or going to the University of Cincinnati football game or cooking. I love making a meal for people and watching them enjoy it; and talking about the day and life and people in their world. I have a group of friends with whom we have dinner together each week. I also like to take my dog, Steve, for walks.
#GoodThingsCincy #CINspiration
CINspirational People: Caden Elrod
Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” It is one of my favorite quotes, and it very much reminds me of a third grade student I recently met, who attends Hyde Park Elementary School.
Caden Elrod with Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune
In November, nine-year-old Caden Elrod became the youngest recipient of the Student Recycler of the Year Award from the Hamilton County Recycling and Solid Waste District.
Let there be no mistake. Caden has found his calling, what makes him come alive and inspires him to lead by example.
Caden told me he has been recycling his whole life except for when he was a baby. But I think his spark was really ignited when he saw trash in the Ohio River and all along its shores. Then, in about the first grade he started looking into it and found information on a massive patch of literally billions of plastic pieces that have accumulated hundreds of miles into the Atlantic Ocean, known as the Island of Trash.
“It kills animals, and plants won’t be able to grow because stuff may get stuck in the plants,” he told me.
And that, Caden thinks, is just unacceptable. So, in his own way he set out to be a change maker.
Caden has been encouraging his school and his fellow students to recycle more. He made a cake that looked like a recycling truck for his Boy Scouts annual cake auction. He has shared photos of garbage along the Ohio River and elsewhere to get people’s attention. He and his dad drop off used electronics to Cohen R
ecycling. He will talk to anyone who will listen about the importance of doing their part. And he has applied to participate in the Hamilton County Recycling Policy Committee, although he won’t be old enough to join for a few more years.
At home, he has inspired his whole family to recycle (with the exception of his sister and that, he told me, is just because she is still a baby). They have recycling bins throughout their house.
“He will hold us accountable. He will always say to us, ‘I want you to do a little more’, Tonia Elrod, Caden’s mother said. “I am always conscious of it now. Even today I went to lunch and had a plastic cup but they couldn’t recycle there so I brought the cup home.”
Caden wants people to be aware that there are a lot of ways we can reuse products. Here are a few examples he pointed out.
- He has turned worn shoes into flower pots (a boot is easier to put a flower inside)
- You can make tunnels out of used plastic bottles by cutting off the top and bottom (he is not sure what you would use these for)
- You can make shelves from leftover wood
- He once made a giant thing out of cardboard that he rode on with his dad
- He once made a chair from a stick and a piece of wood
- He once made a game out of cardboard pieces
He has also learned there are some things you cannot recycle like foam things and packaging peanuts.
“I am trying to be an example for the whole world and my family,” he told me.
Here are a few more questions I asked him.
Lisa: How does it make you feel to recycle and encourage others to do the same?
Caden: It makes me feel good and like I am doing something that will help other people to live in a better place.
Lisa: What advice do you have for others about recycling?
Caden: Everyone should recycle as much as they can. There are like 33% of communities in the United States where you have to subscribe to recycle and that is not good. If you have contact with one of the leaders, you should tell them that you want to stop that so more people can recycle.
Lisa: When you grow up, what are some ways you can do more?
Caden: After school, I want to learn how to recycle electronics and foam.
#CINspiration #GoodThingsCincy
CINspirational People: Leila Kubesch
There are people in this world who live their life with purpose, who push beyond their comfort zone because the power of what they are fighting for is much stronger than any insecurity inside themselves. They are courageous and they are leaders, and they are making this world better in their own way.
Leila Kubesch is one of those people. She is the founder of a Cincinnati nonprofit organization called Parents 2 Partners that educates and empowers vulnerable families including those with limited English, aged out and homeless youth from foster care.
Her website describes what she does this way, ”We use the language they understand and go at pace they can handle. First, we move them from a victim to victor mind-set and let them soar. We train parents, youth, and educators because maximum impact does not occur in isolation. Our aspiration is to promote cohesive informed families that support each other for the success of all.”
She and I walked through Sharon Woods one day when she shared some of her story. It began in Africa where she grew up never having owned or played with a toy. She didn’t know she was poor. “Even without a book to call mine,” she told me, “I loved possibilities. My grandmother sat me down and taught me to dream big. I believed in her words, kept the faith and am achieving my dreams.”
A year ago Leila volunteered as a court appointed youth advocate, a role that changed her path. She discovered the difficult fork in the road for foster care youth, who, at 18, find themselves alone.
“Somehow we think they can make it on their own. One child died in my own community for not getting his medication,” Leila said. “When I asked some of these children what they wanted more than anything, they said simply…a mentor.”
Think about that for a minute. These young adults trying to find their way in this complicated world just trying to get their most basic needs like food, clothing and housing met, are telling Leila what they want more than anything is an adult role model who cares.
It is their stories, their hearts and their potential that has given this soft spoken woman a strong voice. Leila has driven to Washington to meet with a Senator. She developed a web app so that foster care children can be found according to school district. She has applied for program grants and gotten them. She has educated and empowered parents, families and young people through camps, workshops, a Parent Academy.
On March 5, she told her story to a small crowd and was selected to speak at a sell out TEDxCincinnati event this year.
“A year ago, I could not speak in front of people but when I stood there looking into the crowd, I was fearless like I have never known myself to be,” she told me. “It was because I was not speaking with my mind. I was speaking with my heart and I knew I had a purpose. I knew at that moment I did not want to fail.”
Please watch Leila’s TEDxCincinnati talk below.
What is Leila’s advice to other’s? “My advice to anyone who wants to start something is not feel trapped or bound by what you are good at. Follow where your heart is and amazing things will happen.”
Learn more about Parents 2 Partners here.
CINspirational People: Amanda Boehmer
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
GTGA: Tell us about yourself?
Amanda: I am a busy mom of two. I have been married to my college sweetheart for 10 years. I am addicted to social media! I like to stay up to date on what is going on! I enjoy reading, blogging, boating, I love fall weather, trying new things, and shopping. I work full time at P&G in Finance. My main hobby is acting as Vice President of TheClubMom.com. I am also a contributor for Date Night Cincinnati reviewing and writing about keeping the spark alive through different dating adventures.
GTGA: Tell us about The Club Mom?
Amanda: The Club Mom is a blog where mommies get the 411 on Fitness, Food, Fashion and Family. We do great giveaways for families to enjoy the arts and events around Cincinnati. We also share work out tips, Super Steal Mommy Deals, Recipes and other Mom Hacks we find along our own journeys in motherhood!
GTGA: What is the most rewarding part of blogging?
Amanda: Sharing something that hits home with other mom’s whether that is a frustration, a tip, a deal! I absolutely love getting to experience all the fun media opportunities with my family and give tickets to fun events away to my readers! I love giving gifts and sharing with others!
GTGA: What is your biggest motivator?
Amanda: My Children, My Husband, & My Parents. They are the reason I wake up every day. They keep me focused and motivated and sometimes distracted! I love them with my whole being. Everything I do, I do it for them.
GTGA: Tell us about one of your simple pleasures.
Amanda: Talking to my friends. I am blessed to have a few long-term solid friendships. These people are my rocks. Every woman needs her girlfriends. It’s important to connect and make time for each other whether it is daily, monthly, or even yearly.
GTGA: What is a motto you like to live by?
Amanda: Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!” Author: unknown
