At some point I joined the Indianapolis Business Boosters, which is still a great networking club that meets on Thursday mornings. As I remember, I missed a couple of meetings and discovered that I had been elected president when I returned.
We met at MCL Restaurant, 3630 S. East St., and the cafeteria’s staff prepared our meeting area and allowed us to store some of our materials on the premises.
One morning I walked into the restaurant for our meeting and was informed by an employee (Heather) that she couldn’t find our stuff. She was sort of excited and a bit upset as she scampered off to check some other places.
I turned around and to my amazement I saw a couple of our members walking in with all of the missing materials. They had used the equipment while attempting to attract new members during a recent function.
Shortly after we finished setting up, Heather returned. She was more upset and excited than before as she repeatedly announced that she could not find our stuff. I pointed toward the front of our meeting space and told her that we had found everything.
Her eyes grew, and she asked, “Where was it?” She was so relieved but at the same time very confused.
I smiled and said, “It was in the basement.”
I didn’t think that she could become any more excited than she was, but I was wrong. “We don’t have a basement,” she continually remarked.
Soon Heather saw some other employees and exclaimed that the stuff had been found. She was also asking them if they knew anything about the cafeteria having a basement. She returned and announced, “WE DON’T HAVE A BASEMENT!”
I smiled and explained that the only entrance to the cellar was through a door in the men’s rest room. That set Heather off again, and she was off to find that door.
She must have said “We don’t have a basement” a couple of hundred times that morning.
I’m sure that she eventually found out where the materials had been.
That happened about 15 years ago, and Heather still works there; she’s going on 23 years. We have laughed and joked about that morning and the elusive basement for years.
I stopped in to see her to get some facts straight last week. She was taking care of customers, and there was no way I could keep up with her as she flew through the dining areas. So I stood still, and as she passed I would ask a question, which she answered on her way back.
Heather works during lunchtime. If you want a good meal, stop at MCL and sit in Heather’s section. Tell her you know about “the basement.”