Jamie Janosz

I’m sitting in the airport at Charlotte, North Carolina, on a Thursday afternoon. I am on my way home after a business trip. To my left is a grand piano where a pianist is offering a very energetic rendition of the Friends theme song. Also to my left, is a blue haired young man in his 20s with a nicely contrasting lilac bandana across his forehead. He is sitting on the ground, back against the staircase, enthusiastically singing along with the piano player, throwing in special requests (Do you know any Beatles?) and then, without luck, asks if he could jam on the piano for a bit. To my slight right sit two suit-coated men. The older man has white hair, a mustache, and glasses. He’s slowly drinking a beer. His lunch companion (it’s almost 4 pm, so maybe not lunch in airport world?) is a tall young man that looks like a mix of Anglo and Asian. He’s sporting a pin striped linen sport coat that is slightly wrinkled. All of a sudden they jump up and gather their suitca...

I'm older. I know that. But, honestly, I still feel pretty young. Well, most days at least Today I received a not-requested senior discount at Einstein Bagels. It appeared as a $1.03 credit on my receipt, along with the cheery explanation. And if other people don't tell me I'm older, my body definitely does. I traveled to and from Chicago last week with my daughter and her friend. Being the self sufficient woman I am, I helped the girls boost their luggage into the airline's overhead bin. Later that day, I felt my mistake. My back has not been happy ever since. I've been putting those sticky heat patches on it, Ben Gay rub, ice, heat wraps, you name it. And still when I turn incorrectly . . . ouch. There are other signs too. I wear glasses now . . . all the time. It started with readers, and then progressed to progressives. And I HAVE to color my hair now. Those pesky roots keep reappearing in an ever-shinier shade of silver. I (briefly) considered embr...

There is probably not much my dad loved more than patriotic celebrations, especially when they came with a parade. Every Memorial Day and 4th of July I remember sitting on the cement curb in Thornton, Illinois, or neighboring South Holland, with my skinny legs stretched into the street waiting for the parade to begin. Even though the sun was blazing, we always arrived early, which was okay with me. After all, you needed to be up front and center to catch the wrapped tootsie rolls they would toss out of the cars. The parade always began with local celebrities like the town mayor perched in the back of classic cars. My dad could care less about the people, his eyes were only on the cars. He could name every one: "Yep, Fifty...Two...Ford....Galaxie.  Sharp...Sixty...Nine...Vette." Each word would be emphasized and deliberate. When one passed by that he loved, he'd let out a long, slow whistle. I intravenously absorbed car knowledge just sitting by his side. Next ca...

I am the oldest of three children. I have a brother Tim who is three years younger than myself. And my sister Julie, is eight years behind me. We are bonded by blood and childhood memories, but as adults we are quite different individuals, living from coast to coast in the United States. Tim is a zoo veterinarian in Seattle, Washington. This does not surprise me. When we lived at our Thornton, Illinois, home, Tim's room was filled with animals, from wallpaper to stuffed animals. I remember one time when he thought he was an actual lion and tried to bite me. Luckily, I survived. How fun it is to see him now as he attaches shoes on a baby giraffe or performs surgery on a gorilla. Julie is an elementary school teacher in South Holland, Illinois, recently celebrating 25 years in the classroom. Her students adore her, and she has also become an accomplished cook. She makes her own bagels and pasta! This from my little sister who never babysat and didn't like to help out in t...

My husband often jokes that if he can't find me, I'll be at the lifeguard station a few miles south of us. We stopped there once - when we first moved to Florida - to ask about vacancies at an oceanfront hotel. I started to get out of the car only to see a dozen nicely tanned, muscular men jogging past me. It was like Baywatch come to life. But seriously, the red lifeguard stands dot the Atlantic coast. Most of the time, I do not see an actual person sitting atop the own at our location. Budget cuts mean lifeguards only truly guard the more popular areas of the beach. Ours often sits empty. And while it is beautiful, the beach poses real danger. There have been the occasional shark sightings. And, there are often viscous rip currents. Special flags are used to warn swimmers to take caution. But people don't heed the warnings, and there are too often accidents where someone is swept out into the ocean with no one around to help or rescue. As I passed this empty lif...

It was Friday, and I wanted nothing more than to get back home. I visit Chicago four times a year for work meetings. And, despite the hassles that come with travel, I love those visits. I soak in face-to-face time with my coworkers (not on a little Skype screen), have dinner with my sister Julie, and squeeze in as much girlfriend time as possible. But by Friday I am definitely ready to head home. My introverted self often feels exhausted after a week of non-stop work and visiting. So I headed to Midway airport with plenty of time before my 4:15 p.m. departure time. Tucked safely inside four ziploc bags was a frozen pizza for my husband. He is still in deep withdrawal from Chicago pizza (not the thick crust variety, but thin crust, cut-in-squares, from Aurelio's - extra sauce). My trip was off to a good start. The TSA line was miraculously short. In fact, they had a new bin procedure that allowed four people at one time to empty their bags, take off their shoes, and shutt...

We've heard an awful lot of horrible stories about men recently. Famous men who with prestigious jobs have fallen from grace as brave women stepped forward to tell of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the workplace. One by one their names appear in the news. And each time, I recoiled a bit in astonishment. Really! Another one? But at the same time, it is not altogether unexpected. Is it? Nearly every woman I know can tell a story of sexual misconduct or inappropriate treatment. In fact, today I was sitting next to two young women at Starbucks who were discussing the latest news, that Matt Lauer, of Today Show fame, had lost his job. The one girl said to the other, "It's almost a rite of passage to be harassed." Incredibly, the other one nodded. This is terribly, horribly sad. I am a 52-year-old mom, and I can only hope and pray that my 20-year-old daughter does not have to suffer this type of treatment by her professors, her bosses, or t...