When the Palace of Auburn Hills first opened, my wife (whom I did not know of at that time) was directed not to let anyone into the arena without the proper ID badge. She dutifully obliged. “You’re going to laugh,” she told me a few years afterward.
Detroit’s Bad Boys were winning NBA Championships (back to back) and she and I were dating (The Locker Room / Pizza & Pitcher of Beer or The Shamrock Pub / Burgers & Beer). I reminded her that a concierge needn’t be as concerned about security as, well you know, those Burns Security Guards.
“Are you kidding?” she asked, before recalling a NBA player’s gun incident in the parking lot (Dennis Rodman). “Besides,” she confessed, “I knew the basketball players because of their height.”
“So why am I going to laugh?”
She went on to described an older, more sophisticated gentleman, real slick, how he thought he’d waltz right by without flashing the appropriate credentials. She thought he might have been an autograph seeker. Turned out it was Chuck Daly, the Detroit Piston’s basketball coach; I chuckled. An ID badge isn't necessary to gain entrance into Heaven; May he rest in peace.
As for identification, I received a gold-plated nametag last week with the following engraved message “I make a difference.” Also, since it was staff appreciation week, I was given a free grilled hamburger for lunch and six days off without pay.
13 comments:
:(
You do make a difference.
We all do - or can - if we try.
Six days without pay?
We received something similar a few years back from the airline- a "thanks for all you do" and a $5 coupon from a national burger chain. The coupons had expired.
Gadzooks!
Lead on, McStaff!
p.s.:
Josie, Sienna, Liz, Donnetta and I were having a riot today looking over your old archive of the time you sneaked into your absent neighbour's hot tub and had yourself a good, indulgent soak in the steam. I mean, why keep a hot tub if nobody is going to use it?
Tub rustlers unite!
Those were some happy blogging moments that's for sure. Now I've got new neighbors and no hot tub; heck, they don't even have a hot tub for me to sneak into on the weekends when they're not home.
JR, why 6 days with no pay? Tell 'em to 'make a difference' starting with your paycheck!
Awww shit...did they at least spread them out or did it come so you get a pay less week? I'll feed you some beans Jim, fill up the old tin tub with hot water and you can provide your own bubbles.
Wow, what appreciation. Throw me a crumb. Sounds like a couple of jobs I've had in the past. WELL-we appreciate you. And I'm sure your wife does! We're your cheering squad! "Give me a "J"--give me an "R"--JR!! Yay!! D
Very cool backstory and pic.
Horrid front story -- who wants an unpaid "furlough"?
It could be worse, I guess, judging from that "soldier incident" in Iraq. The guy was due back Stateside in a matter of weeks . . .
Good God, if GM leaves, Detroit is gonna be even worse off . . .
My current employer gave us all daily journals with inspiring messages at the beginning of every week. And unpaid leave -- they're generous with that too.
Wish it was just six but it looks
like it can be as much as twenty.
Enjoyed the read. MW
The Chuck Daly story is great. I had an employer who gave me a candy bar at an "appreciation ceremony." Then she got mad at me for laughing about it.
Awesome post, JR. You made me smile on a gray day.
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