I loved being a teen in the 1980’s. The IBM Personal Computer was introduced in 1981, the music was amazing, and MTV actually broadcast music videos. In addition, some classic comedy movies were produced in the 80’s. Ghostbusters, Sixteen Candles, and Back to the Future are a few of my favorites. But, at the top of my list, stands a movie I can watch over and over – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
The movie is also a favorite of my children because they think it’s cool you could get away with playing hooky so easily in the 1980’s. These days, not so much. How many of you parents have tracking apps on your children’s mobile phones? I do and I suspect many of you do as well. But I digress.
Last year, I wrote about my family’s Great American Road Trip vacation to South Dakota. But this year we couldn’t find enough time to do such an epic jaunt. We were stumped on what we could do with about four days. My children intervened and said we should go to Chicago and do all the “Chicagoey” things that Ferris Bueller did in the movie.
Problem solved. A couple of weeks ago we visited the Windy City.
In the past 30ish years, I have been to Chicago on business probably 40 times. But I had never been there as a tourist. What would I think of it from a vacation perspective? And how many Ferris Bueller locations could we pack into a few days? It would be a challenge to find out.
Thinking my children would not be too much into French food, we skipped Chez Quis where Farris, Cameron, and Sloane had lunch. Well, everyone skips it because it doesn’t exist, but it does have its own website. Instead, we opted for the legendary Lou Malnati’s where they not only serve the best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza I have ever eaten, but they feature gluten free deep dish as well!
One of the famous scenes from the movies is when our trio of characters goes to the observation deck of the Sears Tower. Yes, I know it is called the Willis Tower now, but the guide on our Chicago Architectural River Tour said that it would always be the Sears Tower to those who grew up before 2009 when the name changed.
Even though most of my family has no love of heights, we ascended 103 floors to take in the view from the Skydeck. The day was mostly clear so we could see for miles. What I didn’t want to see was glass beneath my feet, looking down on the city from what is called The Ledge. Even though I trusted it to be safe, only 1.5 inches of glass stood between me and the ground 1,353 feet below. It gave me a pit in my stomach.
My wife and I “overcame” our fears in the most chicken way possible. We backed onto one of the four glass ledges, looked up at the camera for the quick shot we could purchase later, and quickly proceeded off after the photo was taken. Never once did we look down. So, does it even count? Maybe, maybe not.
The Skydeck has even marked the place where Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane stood up, leaned over the railing, and placed their heads against the glass. We convinced our kids to do the same, even though the railings are different now.
Mission accomplished and we were ready to move on.
While the Twist and Shout scene is my favorite from the movie, we could not find a German American parade to invade. So, we had to “settle” for the Art Institute of Chicago.
In the movie, we are led through a scene set to music that spotlights 21 different masterworks. We did not strike the pose of Auguste Rodin’s Portrait of Balzac or get lost in Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte like Cameron did, but we were able to see almost everything from the sequence in just under two hours.
In total, we spent half a day at the Art Institute, and I found myself drawn most to the impressive collection of impressionist masterpieces the museum holds in its permanent collection. Specifically, Monet’s Haystacks. The Art Institute owns six of the twenty-five paintings in the series.
The Haystacks is a series that Monet started in the summer of 1890 and continued painting through the following spring. It is notable for the way the artist used the same subject to demonstrate how different light, weather, and seasons can impact perspective. Gazing at each one in progression, it got me thinking about my returning to work after the “Schmidts’ Days Off.”
Why? Because we all have different perspectives we can and should bring to work.
I am thankful that LRS IT Solutions actively solicits the perspectives of its employees and customers. We all have different talents, skills, and experiences that are the raw material for a valuable perspective. If we apply good judgement and respect for others’ perspectives, we find success.
Ready to find success with the LRS IT solutions team? Contact us and find out how our 45 years of collective perspectives can deliver results.
So, how many of the famous Ferris Bueller locations did we visit? Not as many as we had hoped. In fact, my kids prevented my wife and I from kissing in front of the Marc Chagall America Windows like Ferris and Sloane did. I guess I‘m jealous of a fictional character. Maybe next time.
Patrick Schmidt is a Technology Lifecycle Management Specialist with LRS IT Solutions. For more than 27 years, he has been helping customers get a firm grasp on their asset and contract management with a combination of comprehensive service level analysis and lifecycle management best practices.