Birthdays are a happy time and should be celebrated and never taken for granted no matter what age we are turning. Thinking about past mistakes made over the year or years, is both futile and has no place on one's birthday or any other day. It's that one special day in the year that fills us with a renewed sense of energy and purpose as we acknowledge the moment when our life began and with it the dreams of unspoken possibilities that are yet to take shape.
But like a lot of people, I have a little trouble giving gifts and sending out cards either digital or paper on time. And this year was no different. So the night before my daughter in law's birthday, I knew I had to do some serious running around in Manhattan the next day or else. I had to find the perfect gift, the right card and some colorful cupcakes from the right bakery. And then let's not forget about the art of gift wrapping to provide the finishing touch and added delight.
I decided that Bloomingdale's could probably meet all my needs. They have great accessories, they're great at gift wrapping and I knew I could find cupcakes. It didn't take me long to find the perfect pair of earrings. So far so good, I thought to myself. The service in the jewelry department was prompt and helpful but nothing compared to the events that were to unfold over the next two hours.
From the jewelry department, my next stop was gift wrap. A gift that is beautifully wrapped not only enhances the gift inside but brings even greater joy and happiness to the person receiving the gift. I watched as a simple pink ribbon became a velvety rose in full bloom in skillful hands. And instead of choosing traditional wrapping paper, I chose a small gift bag richly designed with decorative beadwork that sparkled like sapphires and emeralds. I complimented the woman at the gift wrap desk for painstakingly creating a simple, yet absolutely elegant package that I planned to give my son later that day for his wife.
There was just one little problem. My cell phone was nearly dead and I realized I accidentally took a USB cord instead of my charger. My concern grew to near panic because at that moment I really didn't know how I was going to contact my son. I had to think fast because if I didn't, he'd be on the next subway and train to New Jersey before I knew what was happening.
I kept telling myself don't panic. Just go to the main floor of the store because that's where customer service and information tend to be located. Despite trying to think rationally, my worried state took over and I felt like I was a prisoner in an advanced spin class unable to catch my breath. I remembered a small alcove towards Lexington Avenue that at some point in the past offered customer services but alas- no longer. Instead of offering assistance, it was now converted into selling space for various sizes of Bloomingdales "The Brown Bag" and accessories. Undeterred, I asked one of the sales associates if she knew of a Verizon store in the area. She said "no I don't but you can ask that gentleman or lady standing near the escalator. They're store ambassadors and they can probably help you with your phone." I thanked her and quickly reached the store ambassadors.
I told them my dilemma regarding the phone and was told just go to the visitor's center on the balcony and they'll charge your phone. "But I don't have my charger, I told them. I accidentally left it home." Seeing what I believe to be a look of intense stress on my face, the gentleman then said, "that's okay; they have a charger for your phone." I couldn't believe what I just heard. Before I started upstairs, the gentleman also said, "If you have any questions or problems about how the charging system works, they can help you with that too."
The reception area at the visitor's center was easy to find and I immediately was able to tell the young man that I desperately needed my phone charged. I suspect that I still had that look of high anxiety on my face so without hesitation he walked me through a computerized charging system with locked cubicles resembling mini microwave ovens. After entering my phone number and selecting a security token on screen, he locked my phone into cubicle number three and said, "you can continue shopping? Your phone is perfectly safe here." I said, "that's a good idea."
As I descended from the balcony level to the main floor, I met my friendly store ambassador again and asked him to point me in the right direction to the Magnolia Bakery. When he said to just keep walking straight down, I knew I'd end up asking for directions again because I don't have a good sense of direction. With help from a sales associate in men's fragrances, I found the bakery. Why didn't they tell me just walk until you reach Third Avenue, it would have been so much easier.
I went back to the visitor's center after shopping and decided to wait there for at least a half hour while for my phone was still charging. Before I sat down to relax and watch CNN, I checked the view at the corner of 59th and Lexington (no surprises there), a slideshow of New York landmarks, tons of outlets to charge other devices and an international size chart just in case.
After a half dozen replays of the same top stories on CNN, I decide it's probably about time for me to check my phone. It's not quite fully charged yet so I attempted to start the whole process over again. But for some reason, the system is not cooperating. It is a good thing that young man hasn't gone on break yet and notices that I'm having a problem and quickly comes to my aid.
Since it is getting a little late and I don't know my way around the City Hall area of the city, I ask if I could use one of the visitor's center landline phones to contact my son and tell him what time I expect to arrive. They were very gracious about it and made a stressful afternoon actually quite pleasant.
Before I left the visitor's center the young man who was so helpful and patient offered me his business card and said, "don't hesitate to ask for future help if I required it while in the store." I thanked him and quickly looked at his business card and thought to myself what a nice name to match a very nice and patient person in New York where everyone is in a hurry. As I turned his business card over, I slowly smiled as I read "LIKE NO OTHER STORE IN THE WORLD."