Dear Mayor Daley:
Hi. Are you drunk yet?
Oh, the heartache. That rejecting feeling. Such a shame for you, as you've worked so hard preparing for the moment when you would finally cash in on the world's top prize. You've done everything right, and planned it so carefully. You've practiced your speeches, your presentations, and contacted the big guns to use as professional references. You've practiced for two years, only for it to slam in your face by the rest of the world. In a nutshell, the IOC pretty much told you: 'you're nowhere near as perfect as you think you are, even with The President as a reference.'
I know the feeling. Speaking from a job seeking perspective, I have had doors slammed in my face since 2004.
Of course, I have to point out some key differences: first, I have never screwed anyone over. I've never used my employer's funds for my own selfish reasons. I have never "bought" my way into certain job roles, and will readily admit to wrongdoing if I know I am guilty of it. My opposition is minimal at best, and to my knowledge, my reputation and my credentials are intact. Can YOU say the same thing about yourself, Mr. Mayor?
I can, however, relate to your loss. You see, I provided three professional references and three letters of recommendation during a job interview I had earlier last month. Even though none of those references came from The President or from Oprah, I figured I had a good chance of landing an offer. I was very polished during the interview, and provided sharp, on-the-point answers to all of the questions. To date, I have yet received a response (even AFTER sending two e-mails) on whether I'm still being considered for the position. At least you were able to find out immediately by being the first city to get eliminated. I'm still in freakin' limbo!
However, I have had previous interviews where I was SURE something good was to come of them. Like you, I practiced my interviews, polished my presentation, and put together any ammunition (references) I had well ahead of the scheduled interview. I made sure that I wouldn't do anything stupid during the interview, such as yawning....oh wait, that doesn't apply to you....well, anyway...I did everything right, but still was not awarded the job. It's so frustrating, isn't it, Mr. Mayor? I'm certain you are content in your heart that you did everything right, too. I'm pretty sure you thought at one time, 'well how can Chicago possibly lose? We're doing everything right -- we have the President and Oprah! What more do you want out of me?'
Apparently, Mr. Mayor, the IOC indeed wanted MORE out of you, just like my previous interviewees wanted more out of me. Perhaps you can use the events of today as a time to reflect. You've spent a lot of time telling the world how pretty of a city Chicago is, but how will the Olympics benefit? What are the advantages of hosting the Olympics in Chicago, aside from the Oprah factor? These are questions you should have been prepared to answer, Mr. Mayor. Take it from someone who knows. Since 2004.
They say everything happens for a reason. Perhaps your reasons are more prevalent and climatic than mine. At any rate, being rejected sucks. Being rejected by the rest of the world sucks even more, but at least you know what I've gone through, from tears to heartaches to more tears. I'd take my rejection much better if I had Oprah on my side, so at least you have that going for you.
Congratulations on your well deserved loss.
With love,
JS
