WEBVTT 00:00:14.740 --> 00:00:18.140 Hi and welcome back to Tell Me What Happened, 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:21.320 the podcast that features real people talking 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:24.359 about true stories from their childhood and how 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:27.800 those stories, how those events impacted their 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:31.660 lives as an adult. I'm your host, Jay Rehek, 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:35.219 and like you, I've had my share of childhood 00:00:35.219 --> 00:00:38.719 memories. Some of them great, and some of them 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:41.560 not so great. Before we get started with our 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:44.520 guest, I'd like to quickly thank our two sponsors. 00:00:45.520 --> 00:00:48.020 Sideline Inc. Publishing, publishers of quality 00:00:48.020 --> 00:00:50.979 books, including the Sideline series, which helps 00:00:50.979 --> 00:00:54.200 children learn about financial literacy. And 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:58.700 our second sponsor, laughsaver .com. Visit laughsaver 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:02.420 .com and record your laughter. It's free and 00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:05.379 we'll keep it for you now and forever. Your children 00:01:05.379 --> 00:01:08.159 and your grandchildren and your great grandchildren 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:12.060 will appreciate it. That's laughsaver .com. Today 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:16.980 I have with me the founder and CEO of Live Greatly, 00:01:17.379 --> 00:01:21.599 a wellness instructor, Crystal Bauer. Crystal, 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:24.000 thank you for being on the show. Thanks so much 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:27.849 for having me. I'm excited. Well, I'm excited. 00:01:27.909 --> 00:01:29.790 I'm ready to hear your story. Are you ready to 00:01:29.790 --> 00:01:32.890 tell it? Yeah, let's do it. All right, Crystal, 00:01:32.930 --> 00:01:34.909 what I'm going to do is I'm going to just try 00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:37.730 my best not to interrupt you. Just listen to 00:01:37.730 --> 00:01:39.310 your story. And then at the end, I'm probably 00:01:39.310 --> 00:01:41.530 going to ask you how you feel it has impacted 00:01:41.530 --> 00:01:44.129 your life as an adult, whatever story you tell 00:01:44.129 --> 00:01:48.689 me. That sounds good. So I definitely did a little 00:01:48.689 --> 00:01:51.390 reflecting when I knew I was coming on this podcast 00:01:51.390 --> 00:01:55.120 about what story I wanted to share. And what 00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:59.500 kept coming back to me is something that was 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:01.900 really meaningful to me as a child. And now that 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:04.260 I've gotten older, it really has kind of this 00:02:04.260 --> 00:02:08.520 sentimental value where it helps me get to know 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:14.360 kind of my culture and it really sparked curiosity 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:17.870 in me from a young age. And what ended up happening 00:02:17.870 --> 00:02:21.009 is my my grandparents and my father's side came 00:02:21.009 --> 00:02:25.610 here at I think my Oma was in her 20s and they 00:02:25.610 --> 00:02:29.349 came here on a boat from Austria and so they 00:02:29.349 --> 00:02:32.250 were you know originally from there and what 00:02:32.250 --> 00:02:34.909 I got to do which was really amazing as a child 00:02:34.909 --> 00:02:39.270 is I got to go to Austria about every three years 00:02:39.270 --> 00:02:42.789 to go visit a town called Spital and this town 00:02:42.789 --> 00:02:45.050 Spital was like I don't know it's kind of like 00:02:45.050 --> 00:02:48.789 a a fantasy world for me, I guess, as a child, 00:02:48.990 --> 00:02:51.389 because it was so different than the US. The 00:02:51.389 --> 00:02:53.189 streets looked different, the buildings looked 00:02:53.189 --> 00:02:56.469 different, the artwork was different, and they 00:02:56.469 --> 00:02:59.889 owned a building there that looked like a castle. 00:02:59.949 --> 00:03:02.990 It was like a pink castle on the corner, and 00:03:02.990 --> 00:03:06.150 there was a restaurant on the first floor, and 00:03:06.150 --> 00:03:08.689 they had an apartment that we would stay in above. 00:03:09.259 --> 00:03:13.460 And when I would go, I would see relatives that 00:03:13.460 --> 00:03:17.520 I never talked to. This was before we really 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.740 had Zoom and all of that stuff. And everyone 00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:24.460 spoke a different language. So I was there with 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:29.080 my family. And I just was, I remember just, again, 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:33.099 it felt like I was kind of in. or it was like 00:03:33.099 --> 00:03:36.800 a totally different world. And what I really 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:40.439 remember from that young age is just absorbing 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:44.759 and really being curious about how people lived 00:03:44.759 --> 00:03:49.479 there. And specifically there was one of my, 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:52.340 I guess my second cousins or third cousin, I'm 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:55.319 not sure, but he was about my same age and I 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:59.439 probably was seven at the time. And we couldn't 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.919 speak each other's language, but he was over 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:04.680 and we were trying to play and we were trying 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.719 to come up with a game. And there was a garden 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:10.240 in the back and it was like, it felt like a secret 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.439 garden and it was beautiful. And we were just 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:17.060 running and playing and laughing. And what really 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:19.620 resonates with me is just the ability that I 00:04:19.620 --> 00:04:24.920 had to really connect. with this person who was 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:27.379 a distant family member. We couldn't speak the 00:04:27.379 --> 00:04:31.139 same language through play and through just human 00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:34.620 to human connection. And that's really, I think, 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:37.639 what this whole experience taught me is just 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:40.899 the level that we have as human beings to connect 00:04:40.899 --> 00:04:44.459 even when we don't speak the same language. And 00:04:44.459 --> 00:04:51.149 really, too, it gave me such a sense of curiosity 00:04:51.149 --> 00:04:54.189 about life and wanting to explore and wanting 00:04:54.189 --> 00:04:57.970 to learn more about other people and really understand 00:04:57.970 --> 00:05:00.149 where they're coming from and their culture. 00:05:00.629 --> 00:05:03.589 And that was ingrained at such a young age for 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:07.529 me, just that everyone's not the same. Everyone 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:09.610 doesn't live the same way. Everyone doesn't speak 00:05:09.610 --> 00:05:12.769 the same language, but there's definitely that 00:05:12.769 --> 00:05:16.300 common ground that can be found. you know, again, 00:05:16.420 --> 00:05:19.180 that human to human level. So for thinking back 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:21.839 to those memories, you know, it was trying all 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:24.259 different new types of food. Everything was new 00:05:24.259 --> 00:05:27.620 to me and exciting. You know, they have it, Fanta 00:05:27.620 --> 00:05:30.000 there, that orange soda, which we didn't have 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:32.259 here at the time. That was like the coolest thing 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:35.379 ever. And, you know, the little details, the 00:05:35.379 --> 00:05:38.500 little things which I found, found so fascinating, 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:44.319 so exciting and unique. So looking back on that 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:47.759 experience now, I want to give that to my children. 00:05:48.100 --> 00:05:51.259 I want them to have that exposure to different 00:05:51.259 --> 00:05:54.240 cultures and kind of understanding that everyone 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.680 doesn't live the same way, but kind of at the 00:05:56.680 --> 00:06:00.660 core, we all have a lot of the same values. We 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:03.980 all want connection is the need for connection 00:06:03.980 --> 00:06:08.819 is very real. I love the idea of having that 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:12.160 sense of curiosity about others' cultures. And 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.839 hopefully with that, it could come a deeper level 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.879 of acceptance and compassion and understanding, 00:06:17.939 --> 00:06:20.879 which I think right now in our world is very 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:25.319 needed. So I think what I learned from that was, 00:06:26.019 --> 00:06:31.199 I think it helped me connect with people in... 00:06:31.209 --> 00:06:34.250 on that deeper level or at least a desire to 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:36.350 try and connect with people on that deeper level. 00:06:36.709 --> 00:06:39.430 And now it's really, I think, coming back to 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:42.769 that sense of play and trying to remember that 00:06:42.769 --> 00:06:46.810 carefreeness, that curiosity. And I really strive 00:06:46.810 --> 00:06:49.149 to incorporate that in my day -to -day living 00:06:49.149 --> 00:06:52.250 because, gosh, that was just so fun. Just the 00:06:52.250 --> 00:06:55.250 freedom I felt, the curiosity I felt, the excitement 00:06:55.250 --> 00:06:58.550 I felt. I think as we grow, sometimes we lose 00:06:58.550 --> 00:07:02.139 that. And thinking about those memories and those 00:07:02.139 --> 00:07:04.839 times, it can spark that feeling in me again. 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:07.259 And so that's something I do regularly is kind 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:11.199 of visualization of just that carefree feeling 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:14.199 that I think all of us can tap into from one 00:07:14.199 --> 00:07:16.819 point or another in our childhood. Have you connected? 00:07:16.980 --> 00:07:18.680 When's the last time you connected with folks 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:22.519 from Austria? Oh, my gosh, it's I never stayed 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:25.139 in contact. It was only when I was there. It 00:07:25.139 --> 00:07:28.980 was only on these trips that I connected with 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.420 people there. You know, I was so young, it was 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:33.819 never a relationship that kind of carried through. 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:38.879 So the last time that I went was in, I think 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.279 I was in high school. So I would like to go back. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.579 That's on our list. I want to take my kids and 00:07:43.579 --> 00:07:46.560 I want to show them. You still have family there? 00:07:46.939 --> 00:07:49.300 So extended, like the people that we would see 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:52.540 my, my OMA's sister or brothers, they passed. 00:07:52.980 --> 00:07:56.240 So, you know, it would be extended, extended, 00:07:56.500 --> 00:07:59.430 but It would still be really neat to try and 00:07:59.430 --> 00:08:04.290 go and see them. Well, I definitely understand 00:08:04.290 --> 00:08:08.509 that idea of trying to just play or just connect 00:08:08.509 --> 00:08:11.850 with people, not necessarily language wise or 00:08:11.850 --> 00:08:14.970 any other way, but just say, you know, we're 00:08:14.970 --> 00:08:16.949 in different worlds in the sense that, well, 00:08:16.970 --> 00:08:18.750 not different worlds, but we're in different 00:08:18.750 --> 00:08:21.230 communities. But when you connect with somebody 00:08:21.230 --> 00:08:24.810 and say, We're interested in the same things 00:08:24.810 --> 00:08:28.209 which is to enjoy our lives on a daily basis 00:08:28.209 --> 00:08:34.590 as a kid. That carefreeness as an older person 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:37.210 I definitely want to try to get back to and I'm 00:08:37.210 --> 00:08:41.090 not exactly how to do it except as you suggested 00:08:41.090 --> 00:08:45.350 which is like a visualization that you can somehow 00:08:45.350 --> 00:08:48.590 close your eyes and go back to Austria as a young 00:08:48.590 --> 00:08:51.889 person or... You know, in my case, something 00:08:51.889 --> 00:08:55.429 else, but the idea of trying to find find that 00:08:55.429 --> 00:08:56.990 carefreeness. I don't know. How do you do that 00:08:56.990 --> 00:08:59.549 now? Is your wellness program part of that as 00:08:59.549 --> 00:09:02.570 well? Or is that not part of it? So, you know, 00:09:02.629 --> 00:09:06.149 I am a big proponent of the mind body connection. 00:09:06.409 --> 00:09:09.690 Our minds extremely, extremely powerful. So whatever 00:09:09.690 --> 00:09:14.360 you can do to get yourself feeling those. like 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:16.919 that playfulness, that carefreeness and visualization 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:20.200 works. So if you are able to kind of sit quietly 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:23.919 and just remember the feelings you've had in 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:27.220 those moments, your body thinks it's real. Like 00:09:27.220 --> 00:09:29.299 your body's like, oh, this is happening, you 00:09:29.299 --> 00:09:32.159 know, and that is like a natural mood booster. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.659 And if you do that on a regular basis, I mean, 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:36.480 you're going to get better, you know, feel good 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:38.639 endorphins going. You're going to feel more excited 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.860 about your life. If you're, if you're focusing 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:43.659 on things that make you feel that way. So for 00:09:43.659 --> 00:09:45.799 me, you know, I incorporate that here and there, 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:49.419 but I also really love meditation and I do a 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:51.679 lot of different mind, body practices, but I 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:53.279 think it's just finding something that works 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:57.320 for you play for me now, you know, it's, it looks 00:09:57.320 --> 00:09:59.659 a little bit different, but what I found that 00:09:59.659 --> 00:10:03.120 is. A good way to connect with people, for me 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:07.360 at least, is being active. So like, I play paddle, 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:10.100 I play tennis, and doing things like that with 00:10:10.100 --> 00:10:12.139 movement, I think that's something that can kind 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:14.279 of surpass, I guess, if you wanted to compare 00:10:14.279 --> 00:10:16.279 like a language barrier, right? Where you're 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:19.679 doing some sort of activity with others, which 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:21.679 is fun to you, you know, these times that's a 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:23.700 little bit challenging with COVID. Or, you know, 00:10:23.740 --> 00:10:26.779 walking in nature, going on a hike, kind of experiencing 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:30.259 different things that can surpass kind of that. 00:10:30.490 --> 00:10:33.870 the language barrier. So there was never any 00:10:33.870 --> 00:10:37.370 fear when you like went into like the community 00:10:37.370 --> 00:10:39.830 in Austria where you go this is strange it was 00:10:39.830 --> 00:10:43.129 just all like wonderland as far as you sort of 00:10:43.129 --> 00:10:45.669 remember was there any like oh my gosh this is 00:10:45.669 --> 00:10:49.190 not like home or is that not the experience of 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:52.169 that? I was so excited I was just so excited 00:10:52.169 --> 00:10:56.309 about it I thought it was so cool and our my 00:10:56.309 --> 00:11:00.679 great -grandfather was an artist And so he had 00:11:00.679 --> 00:11:04.720 painted the walls in the castle there and the 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.639 ceiling. So we were able to go into rooms that 00:11:07.639 --> 00:11:10.659 were closed to the public to see it. It was just 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:13.899 so fascinating to me to learn about that and 00:11:13.899 --> 00:11:18.419 to learn about that part of my ancestors that 00:11:18.419 --> 00:11:20.620 at the time, again, it wasn't, I don't know if 00:11:20.620 --> 00:11:23.559 I fully was. absorbing it, but now I'm like, 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:27.340 that's really, really cool. You know, and it 00:11:27.340 --> 00:11:30.480 was me. It was just a really fun experience growing 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.139 up to be able to be exposed to that. All right. 00:11:33.179 --> 00:11:34.720 You said you have children of your own, right? 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:37.440 So hopefully you'll get back to Austria or someplace 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.019 else. That doesn't have to be Austria, but someplace 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:43.059 where you can sort of blow their imaginations 00:11:43.059 --> 00:11:45.500 or, you know, open their imaginations up a little 00:11:45.500 --> 00:11:48.559 bit. I think there is. The beauty of travel is 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:50.519 that, I would say for sure, is that you feel 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:53.299 a sense of, oh, there are other places out there 00:11:53.299 --> 00:11:57.299 besides my own community. And to get that larger 00:11:57.299 --> 00:12:00.879 sense of community, I think, is huge for young 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:04.240 people. I'm a school teacher, so I'm a big proponent 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.980 of trying to get people to look beyond. their 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:09.759 own neighborhoods, whatever that is, whatever 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.120 that means. Yeah, for sure. I think travel definitely, 00:12:13.159 --> 00:12:15.600 I would love to take them there. I think it was 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:17.840 just a really interesting experience and hopefully 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.440 we'll be able to do that over the next couple 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:23.059 of years. Well, I love the idea of visualization. 00:12:23.379 --> 00:12:26.519 I want to thank you for coming on the show. I'm 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:30.340 going to visualize COVID ending. All of us being 00:12:30.340 --> 00:12:34.120 able to travel somewhere, go somewhere or just 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:36.940 experience that. playfulness that you're talking 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:41.360 about, that idea of really just being joyous 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:45.679 at movement and that I also hear what you're 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.460 saying about connecting mind and body makes perfect 00:12:48.460 --> 00:12:52.580 sense to me and I know you're articulating what 00:12:52.580 --> 00:12:55.440 scientists, social scientists, people have been 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:57.840 discovering over the years. I'm glad that we 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.200 talked because I'm In my own mind, I'm going 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:02.399 back to some places that I haven't been in a 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.679 while because I haven't left my house in months, 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:08.720 it feels like. So you've actually sent me back 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.559 to some places. So that's very nice. So thank 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.379 you for being on the show. It was my pleasure. 00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:16.679 I had a lot of fun. Thanks for having me. All 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:18.460 right. Well, that's our show. I want to thank 00:13:18.460 --> 00:13:21.120 Crystal Bauer for coming in and telling us that 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:27.639 story. I want to thank our sponsors, Sidelining 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:31.080 Publishing. Publishers of quality books, including 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:34.460 Susan Salador's latest children's book, One Little 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:37.519 Act of Kindness, available anywhere quality books 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:42.419 are sold, including Amazon .com or your favorite 00:13:42.419 --> 00:13:45.820 independent bookstore. That's One Little Act 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:49.360 of Kindness by Susan Salador. I'd also like to 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:53.240 thank LaughSaver .com. Visit LaughSaver .com 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:56.279 and record your laughter. We'll keep it for you, 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.450 now and forever. It's free, and your family will 00:13:59.450 --> 00:14:03.629 really appreciate it down the road. Now I'm going 00:14:03.629 --> 00:14:07.169 to end this show, as I often do, with Susan Salador's 00:14:07.169 --> 00:14:11.690 classic, Every Moment, Every Day. So until next 00:14:11.690 --> 00:14:16.110 time, this is Jay Rehack, wishing you all a safe 00:14:16.110 --> 00:14:21.389 and happy and COVID -free 2021. So until next 00:14:21.389 --> 00:14:24.710 time, please stay safe out there, and try not 00:14:24.710 --> 00:14:29.519 to hurt anybody. To be thankful every moment 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:33.639 every day. It takes practice and humility. It 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:36.919 takes vision and civility. It takes practice 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:40.840 and humility. It takes vision and civility. It 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:45.100 takes beauty and the wisdom to see it every day. 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:49.000 It takes practice and humility. It takes vision 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:52.700 and civility. It takes beauty and the wisdom 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:57.279 to see it every day. It takes practice and humility. 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:00.940 It takes vision and civility. It takes practice 00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:05.159 and the wisdom to see it everywhere. It takes 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:09.080 practice and the wisdom to see it everywhere. 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:14.019 It takes beauty and the wisdom to see it everywhere. 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:19.940 It is possible to be thankful every moment every 00:15:19.940 --> 00:15:20.399 day.