Power of Words
Barb Unell
Join Sondra & Jeni as they talk with Barb Unell about: Barbara Coleman's and Barbara Beeson's New Word Diotionary. This is a unique project our guest began creating 40-plus years ago with a childhood friend. These made-up words powerfully influenced the direction of her life. Technically this was her first book, misspelled title and all! Now she’s making one with her grandson.
Show Notes »
Transcript »
Presented by the Kansas City Public Library & Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City.
Join Sondra & Jeni as they talk with Barb Unell about: Barbara Coleman's and Barbara Beeson's New Word Diotionary. This is a unique project our guest began creating 40-plus years ago with a childhood friend. These made-up words powerfully influenced the direction of her life. Technically this was her first book, misspelled title and all! Now she’s making one with her grandson.
Show Notes »
Transcript »
Presented by the Kansas City Public Library & Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City.
Hi everyone, and welcome to our podcast, Power of Words. Thanks for stopping by.
Jeni Starr:Hi, I'm Jeni Starr my pronouns are she her, and I'm the Health and Wellness Specialist for the Kansas City Public Library.
Sondra Wallace:And I'm Sondra Wallace. My pronouns are she her, and I'm the Director of Mental Health Programs at Jewish Family Services at Greater Kansas City. I'm glad to be back doing a program again with Jeni.
Jeni Starr:Aww thanks, Sondra. Sondra and I have worked together on mental health programming for several years, and we're pleased to bring you our latest project where we talk with community members and connect stories through words that matter.
Sondra Wallace:We're excited to have our guests share a little bit about their mental health journeys and their love for Kansas City. We've asked each of our guests to share an example of how specific words have empowered, changed, encouraged, or strengthened their mental health and wellness.
Jeni Starr:We hope one or two of the words from our conversation today allow you to connect to words that matter to you.
Sondra Wallace:Anything going on in your world these days, Miss Jeni?
Jeni Starr:Well, hi, Sondra. Yes. We went to training camp over the weekend, Chief's training camp. We had a lot of fun. It wasn't that hot. We, because we went Friday that day that it downpoured, and so we had to sit in the parking lot for a long time. The gates open at 8 45 and it starts at 9 15. We didn't even get in until like 9 45. Okay. Okay. Almost 10. And then they ended on time'cause they have a schedule, so we, it was short, but it was fun. I was really impressed by Pacheco because he did autographs. He went all around to the sidelines of where all the fans were. And we did not get an autograph from him, which was fine'cause like 10 people probably got them. But this little boy did get one that was next to us and he was holding his ball. And his mouth was like open and he was just like, oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. And he was so excited and I thought
Sondra Wallace:Just totally gave me the chills, oh,
Jeni Starr:This kid's never gonna forget this day. And how neat it was because where we were standing is not a place a lot of players were doing autographs. So how cool it was that he ran around to all the different spots to do it.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah.
Jeni Starr:It was just fun.
Sondra Wallace:Oh, that's awesome. Well, and I heard a, a press conference this morning and I appreciated Mahomes that was saying, the training camp is to make mistakes, to figure out how to correct it.
Jeni Starr:Mm-Hmm.
Sondra Wallace:And then to do it again. The correct way. Right?
Jeni Starr:Right.
Sondra Wallace:And I thought, okay, that isn't that like the...
Jeni Starr:That's life, right?
Sondra Wallace:That's life
Jeni Starr:For sure.
Sondra Wallace:And and it was, he was just like, yeah, you make a mistake and you figure out how to correct it and you do it again and you do it correctly. And I thought, yeah, that's very much a matter of fact. Thank you for saying that out loud for all of us.
Jeni Starr:Yeah. But aren't we kind of all walk? Okay. I'll speak for myself. And aren't I kind of walking around in life thinking I'm supposed to know how to do it the first time and what's wrong with me that I didn't know what to do or I don't know what to do. And or I didn't do it right the first time. And that is a good thing to think about in life. None of us have had the practice and a new experience and so sometimes we just don't do it perfectly the first time and that's okay.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah.
Jeni Starr:Yeah.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. And I think there's also some generational aspects to that because I think while we want our kids and the youth to do things correctly, they also need to make mistakes. Right?
Jeni Starr:Right.
Sondra Wallace:And so as parents or caregivers with this generation we have to be sure that we're allowing them to make mistakes so that they can learn and grow and do things differently.
Jeni Starr:Yeah. And making mistakes at a time when it's really safe. And we are there to help them when they don't...
Sondra Wallace:Right.
Jeni Starr:...get it right.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. And we can really respond in a healthy way. Not only modeling, making a mistake and learning from it, but also how to respond to that mistake, right?
Jeni Starr:Yep.
Sondra Wallace:And how to navigate the disappointment and the sometimes embarrassment. I mean, I've been, I've been embarrassed plenty of times from mistakes that I've made, and...
Jeni Starr:Yeah.
Sondra Wallace:...yeah, sometimes I didn't handle it right. You let your emotions get in and you get either angry or I'm, I tend to be a crier, so then I get embarrassed, and then I'm crying, and then my face is red. It's just.
Jeni Starr:Yeah. Yeah. Also I think modeling, apologies and mending relationships and making repairs is an important skill.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah.
Jeni Starr:I know when I was a kid, that wasn't a real common thing to see adults apologizing to kids or to each other or at all.
Sondra Wallace:No, uh-uh I would agree.
Jeni Starr:Something that I think it's really helpful to model.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. Which means we as the adults have to be okay with it.
Jeni Starr:Right. It's really hard to say that you were wrong. It can be really hard. I feel like I'm getting better at that. At this point in my life because I have apologized so many times at this point.
Sondra Wallace:No, I know.
Jeni Starr:But I'm willing to just not be perfect and that's okay. But it is hard. It can be really hard.
Sondra Wallace:So hard. Yeah. Well, and I I tried to be a more conscientious about saying sorry. You know how I, I feel like I use that multiple times a day and I'm not using it in the truest form of a apology.
Jeni Starr:Right, right, right. It's like bump into someone, sorry.
Sondra Wallace:Sometimes I don't know, discounts my confidence or if I say something or do something wrong. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Didn't mean, you know.
Jeni Starr:Mm-Hmm.
Sondra Wallace:I've been thinking about that lately.'cause there's a colleague at work that she's like, stop apologizing, right? Like, do it, just do your stuff. And, you know, and I thought, Hmm, I didn't realize that I said it as often as I did.
Jeni Starr:Hmm. Yeah. That's interesting.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. Yeah. Again, just, you know, kind of a interesting look at even what this podcast is all about with the power of words and that sometimes our words aren't, they're not used with what the intention of them were originally.
Jeni Starr:Well, Sondra, that's kind of the perfect segue for our guests today. We are going to have a fantastic conversation with her and I will let you introduce her.
Sondra Wallace:I am excited and honored to introduce you to our guest today. Barbara Unell. She comes to us as a Kansas City native an author of 15 plus books. I think in your bio it says, a devoted mother and, and an adorning grandmother, and I could not use better adjectives to describe you. Barb and I have been working together for the last three years or so with the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition foundation that she co-founded, raised with Love and Limits. And then collaboratively, we are working on a project that includes Jewish Family Services as well, and Kansas City Public Library and lots of different organizations called Raising KC. So I'm excited to have you here today, Barb, and I think that this is a perfect fit for the work that you have been doing for 35 plus years. Independently as an author, as well as working throughout the Kansas City community. She's the co-founder of the Kindnesses is Contagious Campaign, the Sunflower Ambassadors Campaign work around uncle Dan's Report Card. And so if you are not have not crossed paths with. With Barb yet in Kansas City, there's a good chance you will soon'cause she is out and about and everywhere. And we are just thrilled to have you with us today. I think when we started talking about this project of the Power of Words podcast, we visited and there were lots of ideas and things that were swirling around, as I say, and when you mentioned this idea that you're bringing to us today, I, I think we both kind of were like, just clicked. That's it. It's something completely unique and it's something that we have not had any other guests share. So you're bringing a really cool experience and opportunity. For our listeners to really kind of grab a hold of something that might be the right fit for them or for a friend or for their family. And that is Barb's dictionary of made up words or made up word dictionary that she and a childhood best friend started making. I believe you said when you were about seven years old. And now she's passing it on to kind of the next generation with her grandson. And so that's kind of my little intro of who you are and how we are connected. And so I'd love to, toss it to you, Barb, as far as anything else that you want our listeners to know about your background or coming to this experience today. And then we'll get into the beautiful parts of your dictionary here in a minute. Anything else you want listeners to know about you?
Barb Unell:Well, thank you for that kind introduction. And I guess in terms of knowing about me the title of this particular book is Barbara Coleman, that's my maiden name, and Barbara Beeson because I gotta give her a shout out. This who is still my dear, dear, dear friend here in Kansas City. Barbara Coleman's apostrophe s again, we were seven. And Barbara Beeson's. I love that we were already using apostrophes New Word Dictionary. Now the thing I wanted to point out, as you said, anything to add is, I think it is, sort of premonition of things to come that we would be a, making things up when we were seven. And I'm, as you know, Sondra, it's still that is my, my passion is to fill gaps and see where information can be helpful in, in terms of those gaps. So we were already doing such a thing, thinking that there were words that needed to be added. I, again, come by this very naturally. And the other piece to this is that I was reading through the words, there's 25 pages I might add to this...
Sondra Wallace:Wow.
Barb Unell:...volume. It's, yes, with the last page being phonetics. Which I think is funny also. And the end, it also says, oh, the end. Yes. But one of the things that I, I was struck by, as I was thinking about this time we had together here is most of the words have some sort of helpfulness to the tone.'cause we defined all the words, so we said the word and then we phonetically wrote it in parentheses afterwards, second grade English or second grade teacher. I guess we did actually. And then we, said what the definition was, but as I noted and as you sort of introduced the work that I've done for I, I love all those pluses. And for 30 plus and maybe 20 plus, you know, pretty soon it's gonna be, and it is actually 40 plus, so that's okay. But the, I'll go with Plus I like the plus. And as I look at all these, you. They're all trying to help solve a problem for someone like, you can use this word where when you're mad at someone or something. So in other words, being very helpful, you know, you don't know quite what to do or say, so you can, you know, and so, and as you know, I'm still trying to figure out, you know, to help people understand what to do when you're mad. So
Jeni Starr:Yeah, for sure.
Barb Unell:They're, they're not all about being mad. Let me be clear. But anyway, so I am struck by this lifelong passion I have for helping to find the right words, shall we say.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. That's awesome. Thank you.
Jeni Starr:Yeah. Well, we, we normally ask, ask our guests like what their tie is to Kansas City, but I feel like that came through in our introduction today. But Barb, do you have a favorite thing about Kansas City you could share?
Barb Unell:Hmm. I, I think that one of the, threads that runs through my growing up here in Kansas City and moving away for a while but coming back is this feeling that I had all along of this being a place where people cared about one another. That there was in my family and in my school and I went away to college at the University of Texas in Austin. And their people who really know a whole lot about Texas and their cities in Texas and they're passionate about, and I came back to Kansas City and actually my first book that I wrote after this one. Okay, this is my first, but you know, the one that was, I suppose in the adult world I wasn't that much of an adult either but I decided I wanna write a book. I wanted to write a book called the Kansas City Kids Catalog, and it was about things to do. And fun to have in Kansas City. And when you say my favorite thing about Kansas City even then, and that was let's go with the theme 40 plus years ago. It was all about this community and I wanted to people to know how great this community was, just as my Texan friends, right. Knew,
Jeni Starr:Right
Barb Unell:knew so much about Texas and when I was in Texas at that time there were a lot of people who were this again, a couple years ago who had no they didn't understand exactly where Kansas City was or what, you know, and I, I grew up in Prairie Village and I had lived Homestead Drive and I went to Shawnee Mission. You get the theme here, you know?
Jeni Starr:Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:So, one of my favorite things about what's happening now in Kansas City is this newfound zeal, right? Not, not the least of which is caused by Jason Sudeikis and his TV show, but Yeah. But it's, it's always been a place and through my nonprofit work particularly no way could any of these things been done, even a miniscule amount of them without the care of these people in this community. I guess somebody has to plant the seed, but they, they are waters of plenty around here.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. So Barbara B that you authored your first book with. She obviously grew up here with you. Can you kind of begin to capture and kind of share with us how did that all come about? Where, how did this start? What was it all about? What are some of your experiences or memories I should say of that first book?
Barb Unell:Sure. I remember it extremely well and happily so does she. And we've talked about it many times. We both loved the library. We both loved our elementary school librarian. I mean, when I say loved, I mean like loved. And we particularly also loved I would say not, not just because this is the title of this podcast, but we love words.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-hmm.
Barb Unell:What I mean by words is we would just have silly words for all kinds of things, but we decided we wanted to make our own book. And as we created this I'm about 110% sure that we weren't thinking about marketing, we weren't thinking about, I know that shocks you, Sondra That I not thinking about
Sondra Wallace:Yeah.
Barb Unell:We weren't thinking about distribution. We weren't thinking about definitely sponsorship, definitely social media. No, we weren't. But I say that in my professional life in terms of different ways that words are used, I really feel that that has been the hallmark of so much of my life whether it was in the nonprofit world or a book or whatever it is. And so it was a very fun and what's the word? Important creation that we made this book because these were our favorite words.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:You know, we together. And I'm a little bit sort of, Hmm. Maybe hesitant, probably not to tell you that we still use these words. Now we use other words too, don't worry. But and when we're, when we can't find the word for something, you know?
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:We were just, for example talking of course about the Barbie movie, of course.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:Because of course we lived down the street from each other and we were you know, very dear friends from first grade on and that was 40 plus. No, just, just kidding. Years ago. So anyway we used a couple of these words to describe that movie because there's no other word really. I mean if you ask us. So the experience of writing it was totally for our own shall we say edification. The other thing we really loved. We loved those orange biographies that were in our elementary school library. Well, my two favorite were Clara Barton girl nurse. That was, that was really our favorite. And the story of Florence Nightingale. And so these orange biographies, which. I have to say we've been searching for ever since they are a couple on eBay, but we, we didn't buy them. We just have the library. So I think in sort of summary of the experience of it, I think it all really happened so organically. And we weren't even thinking that we had done anything very profound in any way except writing down what we what we loved and we both. One of our favorite parts is the fact that we can't believe we misspelled the word dictionary. We, we talk about that even now. So it also was a sort of a foreshadowing the fact that we also, really love grammar. It's a little scary how much we love grammar.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. Well, that's good.
Jeni Starr:I just noticed that it looks shiny like you laminated it in some way, and I'm wondering how you did that if you used contact paper or something, or if that's been done later. Because when I was a kid, I just remember we used clear contact paper to keep things special.
Barb Unell:No, this was the thinnest kind of paper you could ever see in, in a million years, but, oh, wait, I, I have to, I have to correct myself. Okay. I forgot about that. In the back it says, trademark.
Jeni Starr:Oh,
Barb Unell:you
Jeni Starr:were thinking about it, you were thinking about marketing back then.
Barb Unell:I am. I'm a little bit frightened with a little whoosh on the bottom. Can see, can you see the whoosh of the color of the on the colored pencils?
Sondra Wallace:Yes. Yeah, the yellow
Barb Unell:color pencils. Yeah. Yeah. And and it, and it actually had the price tag, which I won't telling you what the price tag is but anyway to your point we each have one and decided, and I'm not so sure it was a good idea, but to laminate it.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:So we very creatively tried to figure out how to laminate that. So that's. That's how it's, and it is,
Jeni Starr:yeah. It's, I mean, that's how you know it was special'cause you wanted to laminate it.
Barb Unell:Yeah I don't even know that we knew what the word laminate actually meant, but somehow, or we got ahold of that back in the day. Also, I think in terms of the writing and and words in the middle of some of my work in terms of books that I've been so fortunate to be able to have published and write I work with elementary schools and help them find their voice. In terms of writing what's in their heart rather than writing for an assignment. And being able to find those words. And that's one of my very favorite things that I still do because I think writing and words often or looked at from a standpoint of, well, here I am, copyright, you know?
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:And just being able to write. Either what's in your heart or your feelings now the idea of a journal but back over 40 years ago, 40 plus, you know, the whole idea of a journal was in a diary with a lock on it.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Jeni Starr:Right, right. Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:So it's been a really, a great love to help people of all ages come up with their words, which leads me to what I've been doing with my grandson. And he has some fancy words that he has, has created.
Sondra Wallace:That he's put in there.
Barb Unell:The interesting part about his book, it just has his name on the front. I think is a smart move on a marketing side.
Jeni Starr:Branding already
Barb Unell:Yeah, he's already branding. I just want my name
Jeni Starr:Yep. Makes sense. That's how we do it now. We just brand our names.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. Oh my Gosh.
Jeni Starr:Yes. Well, can you share some examples of your words, or is it like a top secret list of words?
Barb Unell:No, no. As I said you are so kind to be interested. And I have chosen a couple of these that I really, I really love. So should I go forth?
Jeni Starr:Yes, yes.
Sondra Wallace:Go for it.
Barb Unell:Let rip.
Jeni Starr:Yes, let rip.
Barb Unell:Okay. Well one of my favorites is Bullaroo.
Jeni Starr:And how does one spell that?
Barb Unell:Okay, Bullaroo is, I feel like this is like the National Geographic spelling bee, capital B, and we did capitalize.
Jeni Starr:Okay.
Barb Unell:U-L-L-A-R-O-O.
Jeni Starr:All right.
Barb Unell:Anybody, you know, again, complete with phonetics here.
Sondra Wallace:Yes.
Barb Unell:And usually you use this word when you are singing a song and don't know what to say. Say Bullaroo, for example, and it makes a Bullaroo,
Sondra Wallace:For example.
Jeni Starr:For example. That's the best part of it all.
Sondra Wallace:Oh, comma there's more.
Barb Unell:Yeah, I mean it, you know, I don't know. I don't, I. Each one of these is precious, and I can tell you feel exactly the same way, but, so when I, we were talking about the Barbie movie, all I wrote back was, and it makes a Bullaroo, and everybody knew what that was. So feel free. Yeah, it's a good one.
Jeni Starr:It's a good one.
Sondra Wallace:Well, I wonder thinking about that word and then I, I was even thinking about how we, would teach students like prefixes and suffixes. And so you wonder, and I don't know if you remember this or not, but like, if you were taking words that you knew, you know, like I thought about bull and then kangaroo, you know what I mean? Like
Barb Unell:mm-Hmm.
Sondra Wallace:...if you wonder if that was part of your...
Barb Unell:mm-Hmm.
Sondra Wallace:...know your mind. No. Okay.
Barb Unell:No.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. But we did have sequential.
Jeni Starr:She's like, no, this is just our words that we came up with.
Barb Unell:We, we did have derivative of, let me be clear. For example, there's blumsh, blumsh, blumsh, which is B-L-U-M-S-H. Okay. Okay. Yeah. S-H and blumsh means and these are underlined. Okay. These, these next words are underlined very, very, very. Pretty all underlined tree, for example. Oh, what a blumsh tree, that is, barbara. Period. Sorry, but makes sense to me. And there was like immersed and then there was mercy. Which I thought was kind of cheating. We both think that was kind of cheating. Oh, we don't think that's really legal. We were kind of looking back, we're like, really?
Sondra Wallace:And you know, you probably need to double check that the New York Times doesn't use any of these words on Wordle, right?
Barb Unell:Yeah, that's true.
Sondra Wallace:Are any of them five letters?
Barb Unell:Yeah. Seriously.
Sondra Wallace:I feel like sometimes that those words are made up.
Barb Unell:And it has crossed both of our minds and particularly mine of late. I've been very. Like I said, so blessed to have my work be, as the word goes, you know, anybody can write a book. It's getting it published. That's the difference. And so to have these books published and so you know, I wouldn't say bookstore near you or a library near you, you're gonna see them because let's just put it this way. We're not getting any younger. We wanna do it. We better do it. Anyway. We've had so much fun with it. And, and we still, like I said it, the love of of this is, is not lost on us.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. Well, and one of the things I was thinking about when you first started sharing it is if you have those memories and how our memories. Tend to be very vivid, I think was even the word that you used when there's an emotion attached to it.
Jeni Starr:Mm-Hmm.
Sondra Wallace:And just even your voice and you know, the listeners can't see you, but I can see, you know, the animation as you tell those stories. Just reminds us that the memories that we have that are the most vivid are ones that are typically attached to an emotion. And just that heart and love that you share with your friend as well as the, the, the project. And, and then it made me think about the words you used to describe the library and the librarian and how you just loved her. Right? And you loved that space. And that was, that's all about those relationships that are safe and that are so nurturing. For humans, and especially for our young kids that are going into the, and as Jeni and Karen know at the library, and you see kids just light up when they feel so safe and seen and heard in those, those spaces. So it's a really cool memory.
Barb Unell:Yes. I think one of the things that, back to the power of words and, and your intention here. In terms of words I think there's this. Sort of sticks and stones can break our bones with words, you know, et cetera and all. But if you can't put words back, toothpaste in the toothpaste jar, right? So many things like that. But I, that, that we might have heard. But I, I think if there's anything then I'm not sure when the hook is gonna come from Karen. So I'm gonna, I wanna make sure I say this. I'm looking, I'm looking for that hook because as Sondra knows I can use a whole bunch more words here, right? But I don't know that people have things to do in their lives other than listen to this. But there is a sort of cavalier use of words today, I believe because we have so many different media that words are coming at us in so many different forms. And, dare I say, over 40 years ago, if you wanted to say something that was your own, you would, I mean, the idea would be to write, write a book, right? Which is, as I said, the Kansas City Kids Catalog. That came, that idea came from that. And that passion I had for getting the word, no pun intended, the word out. As we have so many different ways to communicate one of the things that I think is so important is how do you reach people with your words as, and just in this form we're doing right now, you know?
Sondra Wallace:Right.
Barb Unell:And then how do we select, there's so much, there's so many words. How do we select which ones we're gonna tune into? And so that in and of itself, I think is. And, and they're so segmented in so many different ways in terms of audiences and everything else. And I feel so excited about this podcast that you all are doing. Because I feel so fortunate even, I'm even mesmerized even yet that you can. You can have a word in your mind and think of the word and have the word come out no matter how it comes out.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:I mean, I think right there, that's, that is incredible. Where did that word come from, kind of thing, you know? And so I think one of the things that I could pass on, if there's any younger people listening to this, or younger people whenever, is to learn your spelling words, because I am so grateful that'cause I just think some of these words that are in the dictionary, not our dictionary.
Sondra Wallace:Yes.
Barb Unell:Are so fun to find the right word to encapsulate our thinking. And many of the words that are, are. Sort of being used in all these different ways now. I don't think people are stopping to think about the power of those words that they say. And maybe it's because of this history.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:But, but I would just offer to folks listening to think before you speak, but think...
Jeni Starr:Yeah.
Barb Unell:...think about your words because just as in the title of this, the power of those
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:For better or for worse to build up or,
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:Fred Rogers would say
Jeni Starr:yeah.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.
Jeni Starr:I have a colleague at the library who I feel like does this very well. She finds the. Precise word that she means. And sometimes it takes a moment to think it through and you can see her going through her dictionary in her mind for the perfect word. And I admire that so much. And I think we are always in such a hurry too. With all the things coming at us that. To be willing to take that pause to be intentional about what we say and to really choose the right thing. That's an important point that you bring up. Mm-Hmm. Barb.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm. Right,
Barb Unell:Right. And your point too, Sondra, about the emotions behind the words back to...
Sondra Wallace:right.
Barb Unell:...texting and they're aren't enough emojis on the planet to suit me, right? And so the intention behind the emotion behind some of our communication now I, I remember I gave a talk at a school I remember so vividly about the word terminal. This is long, long time ago. And what do you kids think terminal means?
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:Take train station. You know, well, terminal can mean something else to somebody else, you know? But again, where's the emotion in
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:In your voice? If you're, if you're doing something in person, or again, just that must be the reason that emojis were created.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah.
Barb Unell:This is somebody like me who's like, no, no, no. How many exclamation marks can you use? You know?
Sondra Wallace:Right. Yes.
Barb Unell:I'm not gonna tell you how many exclamation points my first editor took out of my, I, I know it by heart, but I am not revealing that data of my, of, of the book discipline without shouting or thanking. I was, so, his name is Tom Grady. He is such a great guy. Barb. Funny. Really, there are other punctuation marks, really. Promise.
Sondra Wallace:And Barb, I think if, if I remember correctly, were you someone, like when I sent an email back to you, you were like, okay, I know we're gonna be really good friends and partners in this work because you used as many exclamation points as I do in my email.
Barb Unell:What's a period, seriously? Why put a period when you can put a...
Jeni Starr:This is so validating for me because I often will go through emails and delete exclamation points because. I am not sure people understand me.
Barb Unell:I know. Well, maybe
Jeni Starr:You can ask Karen about how many exclamation points she gets in her emails from me.
Barb Unell:Wait, wait. There's another book I did here. We'll come up with a new exclamation, I mean a new punctuation.
Jeni Starr:Punctuation, yes. Yeah, I think so. Yes. A hundred percent.
Barb Unell:We'll get on that after the podcast.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah. After. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. That's so good. Barb, anything else that you're wanting to share with us about your book?
Barb Unell:I just, I hope that this might inspire, as you said in the beginning, Sondra, you know, this, this love of. Making up your own words or creating your own book. And who knows where that will lead in terms of someone of all ages. And not to say that this is the quintessential one, but the. Just get it down. Just write it down if you can, or have somebody else write it for you if you can't write.
Jeni Starr:Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.
Barb Unell:But I'm so grateful for this opportunity to express myself this way. And thank you for the, for the time today to share this. It means the world to me.
Sondra Wallace:Absolutely, it's been totally delightful.
Jeni Starr:Well, yeah, I just wanna say this has had me thinking about how freeing it is to say the word I really want is just not there. I don't know it and so who says I have to use the words from an adopted, published dictionary who says, I can't make up my own way of speaking about a thing or thinking about a thing? You could apply this to many areas of life that you know, you can create your own path. And I really like that idea.
Barb Unell:It's just flooeypoo. It's just flooeypoo. Right. What a great word that is. I'm sorry, but there's, you can't even find anything close to that. I'm just, sorry.
Jeni Starr:No, and I feel like that really expressed something that I got. I understood that
Barb Unell:Well, and if we have time for one more.
Jeni Starr:Yes. Yes.
Sondra Wallace:Go for it.
Barb Unell:Okay, Karen, are we still good?
Karen Whitestone:Yes.
Jeni Starr:And everyone, Karen is our, if, if you've listened before you've heard about Karen, but she's our AmeriCorps vista that supports our program. Who doesn't want me to talk about her right now, but I am.
Karen Whitestone:Please ignore me.
Jeni Starr:No but we've, we've been so grateful to have her here, so I, I just wanna point out who, who she is.
Barb Unell:Yes. And she's got a great smile so that all, all that all's good too, right?
Jeni Starr:She sure does. She sure does. We sure love her.
Barb Unell:Hey, I got one for you. This one's for her. Okay. Krimifranzie Hmm. If you'd like to know, it's K-R-I-M-I-F-R-A-N-Z-I-E. Okay. Why not come as a big surprise? Krimifranzie means any kind of decorations or frills of anything that looks pretty, that you hang or put on. Example, Oh, I see you hung on the Krimifranzie. I had, I mean, I can't tell a lie. It's right here. I don't, I didn't wanna change it, but I'm not a hundred percent sure I'm a fan, but I do like the word.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah, that's a good one. That's a good one. Yes. So speaking of words, the very kind of the last thing that we do at the end of each of our podcast is we ask our guest as of right now, today what is your favorite word?
Barb Unell:Hmm. Wow. Wow. Well, I think I just said it. My uncle, one of my mentors Dan Brenner when he or I, or anyone else for that matter in our world either did something or said something or there was something that was, you know, can't find the word for how good it is. Or how shocking it is, he would say Wowzy with Wow. And if only there is video here wowzy with your arm and going down like.
Sondra Wallace:Oh yeah, wowzy.
Barb Unell:Wowzy. Yeah, imagine so you get some upper arm work, you get some, you know, it's all kinds of exercise. But I think that's my favorite word because. Life is really wowzy, this moment is wowzy. And I do not take any of it for granted. I also love thinking about him and saying that word. Mm-Hmm. I'm not sure it's in the dictionary either. It's not in our di we did not steal it. It is not.
Sondra Wallace:Mm-Hmm.
Jeni Starr:Okay.
Barb Unell:I do love that word.
Jeni Starr:Yeah. That's a wonderful word. That's a wonderful word. Well, Barb, as we wrap up, we always like to ask our guests if there are any resources in the community or connections that you want listeners to know about maybe one or even two go to organizations that you like to share.
Barb Unell:Wowzy. Upcoming work that you're going to be learning about of a public health initiative called Raising KC. And that would be found at raisingkc.org ORG. And I'm also thrilled to be, having my 19th book actually come out this fall. The proceeds from which we'll go to the Back in the Swing nonprofit that helps improve and protect the lives of breast cancer survivors. And so if you go to backintheswing.org. You will learn all about joyful healthy living after breast cancer. So those are two.
Jeni Starr:Wonderful, wonderful. Thanks so much, Barb.
Barb Unell:Thank you.
Sondra Wallace:Yeah, thank you for sharing those.
Jeni Starr:That's wonderful. Well, and as always, we remind you to check out the library resources at kclibrary.org and Jewish Family services at jfskc.org for our current programs and resources that are always available.
Sondra Wallace:And until next time. We challenge you to choose words that matter. Thanks for joining us.
Jeni Starr:Thanks everyone. Thanks, Barb.
Sondra Wallace:Thanks, Barb.
Barb Unell:Thank you, have a good day. And don't forget the wowzy.
Sondra Wallace:Wowzy
Jeni Starr:Wowzy. Hey, is that our new the way we end our plan? That's our new, it's not bye, it's, Thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoyed this episode of Power of Words.
Sondra Wallace:This episode is produced by the Kansas City Public Library and Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City. With support from AmeriCorps.
Jeni Starr:We encourage you to explore our health resources and services available. In the show notes
Sondra Wallace:and follow or subscribe for new episodes wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.