Julie M. Danis Writer, blogger, and humorist Julie Danis is a Chicago-based strategic marketing professional, and an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University Medill School. She’s worked for Frito-Lay, Inc. and held senior level strategist positions at J. Walter Thompson/Chicago and Draft/Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agencies. Danis wrote a column called “It’s a Living” featured in the Sunday Chicago Tribune, and has contributed workplace commentary to public radio’s Marketplace. www.juliedanis.com @juliedanis.
Family & Friends · General Medical

Being in the Moment with Mom

By Julie M. Danis
By Julie M. Danis

Mom was mobile but unsteady. Getting in and out of a car was an act of faith on both our parts. We often waltzed our way out of a potential disaster into a waiting seat.“Would you like to dance?” I asked, turning our swaying into a dip. “Oh, yes,” she said with a smile.

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Family & Friends · Lifestyle

Santa’s Cadillac

By Julie M. Danis
Santa opened the trunk of the Cadillac and removed the presents. I watched him from my bedroom window, looking down through the branches of the big oak tree that was home to the flying gray squirrel. I was supposed to be asleep, but it was Christmas Eve, and a bright moon lit up my room and Santa’s sleigh. So that’s…
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Family & Friends · General Medical

A Special Assignment

By Julie M. Danis
Special work assignments usually offer special experiences. Like the time I cooked and test-marketed new hamburger sandwiches — mushroom Swiss and pizza barbecue — as part of a promotion for a fast-food chain, or when I ran catering triage behind the scenes of a professional golf tournament. These out-of-the-office jobs opened my eyes to real assembly-line production and the unglamorous…
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General Medical

Making It to 92: Part Two of Julie Danis’ Medical Mystery

By Julie M. Danis
Writer, commentator and humorist Julie Danis is a Chicago-based strategic marketing professional, and a consumer insights lecturer at Northwestern University. She’s worked for Frito-Lay, Inc. and held senior level strategist positions at J. Walter Thompson/Chicago and Draft/Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agencies. An editor and contributor to The Works magazine, Danis wrote a column called “It’s a Living” featured in…
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General Medical

Making It to 92

By Julie M. Danis
All the doctors sang the same tune, “You’re getting older.” Generally, I didn’t think I looked or felt like I was approaching 50, whatever that is suppose to look and feel like. But it’s difficult to feel young when the diagnosis is “old.” I did feel sweaty at night, hot during the day and generally irritable all the time, which…
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