Alright GroupoNation - It’s my first day on the job. And frankly, I’d hire me.
Not only did I do the groupon challenges, I made 7.50 in profit. And made friends with the doorman.
They frisked, questioned, encouraged, and measured me. Then they gave me the challenge. Three groupons, three hours. No wallet. Perfect, a little taste of my world for the next year.
So off I ran, out of the 600 W Chicago building, on to explore Chicago. I ran into the doorman who had given me my pass, and we chatted as I got my thoughts in order. He suggested I head to the Hancock building first, then on to the next places, because they were farther. He gave me lots of, albeit useless, help. Rather than try to scrounge money initially, or try to talk my way into a cab, I decided to briskly walk to Michigan Ave. I did expect a bit of a challenge today, so I refrained from wearing heals while picking out my outfit this morning. Thank goodness, else this day would have been a mess. However, the short-ish black skirt was probably not ideal for getting around Chicago as quickly as possible. Ah well, you never know what to expect from the Groupon team. Except that you should always be prepared - for anything.
As I trotted along Chicago Avenue, I plotted out the day (yes, trotting and plotting). I grabbed my iPhone to try to get directions and feel out how far apart each business was. Unfortunately, AT&T didn’t feel like this neighborhood of Chicago was worth coverage, so I was “aimless” for a while. And by that I mean rather than directions in the palm of my hand, I simply looked up and kept the giant tower in front of me.
I got inside and tried to use my newly-downloaded Groupon App on my iPhone to redeem the pass to the Observatory. However, they are not equipped to redeem Groupons in such a way. So we brought out the manager, I emailed him my certificate, and they printed it off for me. They were extremely helpful and amusing people. One man offered to do my manicure so that I wouldn’t have to cross town to get to Juko. I refrained, questioning his nail painting credentials. And then up I went, in the fastest elevator in all of Chicago! I was planning how to get to Juko (a nail salon in Wicker Park) once I was finished here, and asked the people riding the elevator with me for money (or really, anything useful). They were very nice and gave me a dollar. I thought it was going to be more difficult to ask for money but it didn’t feel quite as much like pan handling as I expected. Still, I don’t know that I would give myself a dollar on the street. I got to the top, dollar in hand, not really paying attention to the fact that I was at the top of the Chicago skyline. And then it hit me. I just stopped. The competition melted away as I starred out over Lake Michigan (which from there looks like an ocean) and was over-whelmed by everything around me. I love this city, and had never seen it from this angle. I circled the observatory, forgetting about asking people for money and just starring into the silent, bustling city. Now I’m excited that I have a year long pass there. I had to pull myself back into Groupon mode and head back down so that I could continue with my journey.
Outside, I called the salon to make an appointment and though they didn’t have any free spots, the woman was able to sneak me into the schedule. She understood it was a matter of Groupon Life or Death. Seeing as my phone was working again, I mapped out the location and realized I had to get 3.3 miles in less than a half an hour. So walking wasn’t an option. This was the real test. I had the dollar in my pocket, but knew that any kind of transportation around the city was 2.25, and didn’t see any people immediately who looked like the type to hand me cash. I quickly headed West, not quite sure where I was going, but hoping I would stumble upon something. I went up to a few cabs in a line and one ignored me while the other refused but suggested I try flagging a cab down, because they would be more likely to help. I continued on, rather unsure of my ability to get to Juko on time, much less back to the Groupon offices by three. And then I saw a cab. There were cabs all around me, but I SAW that one. I ran over and the elderly cabbie motioned me in. I hesitated at the window, trying to explain my predicament. Rather than try to explain the contest, I told him someone had taken my wallet (true), I only had a dollar (true), and I needed to get to Division. He was very hesitant, but I convinced him that the Groupon I offered him for two free hotdogs was worth the cab fare. He kept repeating “This is a difficult question, this is a difficult question.” Rather than walking away defeated, I planted myself until he gave a final answer. And then he said, “Hop in. I will see what I can do.”
This interaction gave me hope for the year. So often we see the lesser members of society. People who are kind are rarely recognized as such. But there are a lot of great people in this country, and I’m being given the opportunity to find them. I’m going to get rejected, of course. But that comes with life. I’m looking forward to meeting the people who are worth meeting.
I was nervous in the cab, as though at any moment he was going to slam on the breaks, shove me out, and drive off with my single dollar. But he didn’t. He took me all the way to Juko and refused the dollar saying, “I think you need it more than I do.” I thanked him profusely and jumped out.
Juko was wonderful. The Groupon folks chose an awesome location that (though difficult to get to) would calm the nerves of the finalists. The owner was just about the most helpful woman I’ve ever met. She asked a ton of questions, was sincerely interested in helping me out, and even switched out employees so that I could get out of there sooner and back to Groupon. The salon itself is pleasant, with high ceilings, a large bay of windows, and Notting Hill playing in the background. With all 20 nails painted (by a wonderful Ukrainian girl named Natasha) and a salon full of well-wishers, I headed out the door with $10 in my pocket to catch the bus back to Chicago and Larabee. Unfortunately, in all of my hurrying, 3 of the nails got small chips on them. I guess that’s the price you pay for speed.
As I was trying to catch the bus on Chicago Ave, I didn’t have proper change so I had to run to the Subway and exchange my ten for smaller bills. I am extremely lucky that happened because I was trying to catch the wrong bus, going West instead of East, which is where I wanted to be heading. I finally caught the right bus and sat down feeling good. I used two groupons, talked a cabbie into a ride, made friends with an entire nail salon, and got back to Groupon Headquarters. And what I learned was, I want to do this. And really, I can do this. This year is going to be an amazing experience to meet a lot of people, and see how truly wonderful our citizens and their businesses are.