This WORKING story was submitted by Shannon Cason using our submission form.
Everyday I work, I get off the Red Line at Lake walk up the steps and walk under the marquee of The Chicago Theatre to the employee entrance of Macy State Street. I see the big names coming to town to perform: Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, the hottest comedians, Charlie Sheen… Every day I work, I read who’s in town.
I’ve been working at Macy’s for a year now. I’ve had a lot of education, but I’m out of a career job that I thought had a lot of upward potential. They said residential construction dried up…that was the reason. I understood. Now I’m working at Macy’s where I worked when I was in all those colleges with other young, college kids. Full circle.
I had some time off in between lay off and Macy’s. Time to be depressed. Time to feel like a loser. I’m selling women’s shoes…a creative guy had to sit down at one time and wonder, “What would be the most demoralizing job to give to Al Bundy?” Time to rediscover.
I love stories. I read them. I write them. I tell them. I started telling them in Chicago to anyone who would listen. Won a big competition telling those stories. Invited to New York to tell some. And got an invite to another great venue to tell some of my stories… The Chicago Theatre!
I met an actor who was buying women’s shoes at Macy’s. She told me she was in a play the Broadway Playhouse by Studs Terkel. A person I know appreciated stories…like I do. I love hearing stories and I love telling them. But most of all, I love living them.
Thank you,
Shannon Cason
Chicago’s First Moth GrandSLAM Champion
