Unexpected Beauty

Through the course of life, we often come to anticipate or expect beautiful sights, sounds or moments in certain specific locations. In previous essays, I have commented on the beauty of a sunrise on the Atlantic coast, or a moonrise over the Columbia River in eastern Washington State. Both were moments of tremendous beauty and both in what I would describe as beautiful environments. Additionally I have written about the moments of experiencing beauty in museums, being absolutely blown away by the marvelous impressionist paintings on view at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. Breathtaking indeed! What I want to share today is a recent experience where I was overwhelmed by “beauty” in an environment where it was least expected.

My family and I recently returned from a marvelous vacation to Paris. We had been itching for a “big trip” and while there were a hundred reasons why it would have been “smarter” to take the trip at some later date (the kids are too young, it’s too expensive, there’s too much going on at work, etc.) I was reminded this spring on just how fragile life can be so we eagerly made plans to head to France. Our plan was simple; we would spend the whole time in Paris, each day exploring two or three sights, taking a rest in the afternoon, and heading out in the evening to find a café to enjoy a great meal. Obviously a number of the “sights” would be museums (The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, L’Orangerie, etc) and churches (Notre Dame, Sainte Chapelle, Sacre Coeur, Saint Sulpice, etc), all locations of anticipated beauty. We were not disappointed, the shimmering stained glass light in Sainte Chapelle literally did take our breath away and the water lilies by Monet at L’Orangerie were unbelievable. Huge floor to ceiling panels of Monet’s famous Japanese garden in Giverny, completely enclosing two oval rooms, absolutely overwhelming. This past year in school, Marie had done a report on the artist Edgar Degas. Watching her come upon his “Tiny Dancer” in a temporary exhibit at Musee d’Orsay was outstanding. Indeed, having her strike the statue’s famous pose brought tears to these eyes. Additionally, watching Bryson working away in his sketchbook as we visited the Louvre, sketching various statues near the Marly horses, was absolutely inspiring. How did Jennie and I get lucky enough to have these two wonderful kids???

As you can tell from the above, we did indeed experience “beauty” in numerous “expected” environments. When you visit the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa, or the Venus de Milo, you expect to find “beauty,” and we were not disappointed. It was on our journey from the Louvre back to our hotel one day that the unexpected occurred. We were constantly using the Metro in Paris and by the end of our week, we became pretty good at navigating its system. We changed trains and changed lines regularly and even used the RER line to get to and from the Charles de Gaulle Airport. The route from the Louvre back to our hotel in Montparnasse required us to change trains in the Chatelet station that day in order to head back to “our” metro stop, good old Raspail! We had changed trains at Chatelet before, without incident, but we had been left with one strong memory… the smell! For some reason, this station was obviously used by a number of Paris’s homeless community as their underground bathroom. It reeked! Jokingly, we all held our breath as we moved from one rail line to another to work our way home to the Raspail metro stop. It was in this “least expected” environment that beauty struck an amazing chord.

We literally were in the beginning of rush hour and the crowds were starting to increase as we made our way through the Chatelet station. As we turned a corner, still holding our breath a bit, we started to hear music. It wasn’t unusual at all to hear live music in the Paris metro. I am certain that we heard an accordion, a guitarist, or possibly a lone violinist every day during our visit. What was unusual at this moment was that the music grew louder and larger as we drew near. Rather than a lone musician, there were nine or ten musicians; all gathered in a small passage way, playing what I think was a Mozart string concerto, fiercely. It was unbelievable! Very few of them were reading any music, they played in wonderful unison, and the acoustics of the tiled metro station were unreal. The music stopped all of us in our tracks, and we moved to the side, up a few steps, to get out of the way and enjoy the “beauty.” I was so moved by the moment, watching my family equally consumed in this unusual scene, overwhelmed by the music that I began to cry. Marie turned to me, seeing my tears, and asked why I was crying. Was it the music? Was it the jet lag? I’m still not sure what triggered the tears. I really had no answer other than I was overwhelmed by the moment and I was so happy to be together as a family. I gathered myself as the music came to a finish, a most amazing moment in a most unexpected location.

I wanted to share this story because since our return a few weeks ago, my thoughts continue to return to that metro station. Moments like that cannot be planned, created, or even anticipated in a travel itinerary. We could go back to that metro station today and while I am confident in the smell that we would encounter, I am doubtful that we would encounter the overwhelming “beauty” of that recent moment. I think we all need to be aware and open to what might be awaiting us through the twists and turns of life. As I have written numerous times, life is fragile and life is short. Whether I think back to my mother Arline, my sister-in-law Carrie, my dear friend Bruce, or my mother-in-law Jane, all are sweet fond memories that were lost too early. Life is now, beauty can happen anywhere, whether in a historic museum or in a smelly Paris metro station. I think it’s our opportunity to try to live this life as fully as we can, keeping our eyes and hearts open to beautiful moments wherever they might occur.

Lessons from the team!

Recently I had the pleasure to take a group of inspiring young leaders on a leadership experience to the North Carolina mountains. One of the activities was a hike up Whiteside Mountain, accompanied by a set of readings and discussions.

In preparation for the trip, I had the team read three documents: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech; chapters from Cicero's "On a Life Well Spent"; and a recent blog essay of mine titled "Leadership with a Growth Mindset." My intent was to use the three readings to provoke thinking around the group's approach and priorities as leaders. As we climbed the mountain trail, we paused at different points to share a reading, discuss it's meaning, and connect it to our lives and work today. The discussions were lively and profound, complemented by stunning scenery and vistas. As you can see by the photo, we were no worse for the wear from the climb and the discussions!

At the end of the trip, one of the team shared the following story. I was thrilled to hear the story on the trip, and I loved the idea that all of us have experiences and stories from our lives to share with others. I have found the story of "The Mexican Fisherman" poignant, and I hope that you do as well!


Story of the Mexican Fisherman

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his catch. “How long did it take you to get those?” he asked.
“Not so long,” said the Mexican.
“Then why didn’t you stay out longer and catch more?” asked the American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was quite enough to meet his needs and feed his family.

“So what do you do with the rest of your time?” asked the American.
“I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evening, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar and sing a few songs. I have a full life.”

The American interrupted. “I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat.”
“And after that?” asked the Mexican.
“With the extra money the bigger boat will bring, you can buy a second boat and then a third boat, and then more until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants. Pretty soon you could open your own plant. You could leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York! From there you could direct your whole enterprise.”
“How long would that take?” asked the Mexican.
“Twenty — perhaps twenty-five years,” replied the American.
“And after that?”

“Afterwards? Well, my friend,” laughed the American, “that’s when it gets really interesting. When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!”
“Millions? Really? And after that?” said the Mexican.
“After that you’ll be able to retire, live in a beautiful place near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take siestas with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends.”

***

The moral of the story… Know where you’re going in life — you may already be there.

“Leadership with a Growth Mindset”: Amplified

I have been pleasantly surprised by the reaction to my last blog essay, “Leadership with a Growth Mindset”. Over the past few weeks, I have had a number of conversations and discussions on various themes that were covered in the essay, and it seems appropriate to share a few “amplifications.” As you can see in the essay below, there were six ideas or suggestions that I highlighted as being helpful to me and hopefully others. What follows are additional thoughts, ideas, and exercises for three of those themes:


1) Raise Expectations. As I mentioned, it is vital for us as leaders to raise our expectations for performance in a growth mindset. This is especially true for us as individuals. We need to model raising our expectations on OUR OWN PERFORMANCE first, before we start on our teams. I have found it helpful to share what I was personally proud about over the past months/quarters, and at the same time share my reflections on what I want/need to work on and improve for the year to come. Additionally, this is a perfect time to find new ways that might help your team raise their own expectations. Just last week I lead a group of frontline leaders on my team through an “Anchors and Sails” exercise that provided a fresh prospective. (You can read more about the idea of “Anchors and Sails” in a previous blog essay of that name) After a very successful year in part of our business, I had this team of leaders chart out our market based performance for over 60 markets on a grid where the x-axis was share growth and the y-axis was share. The mid-points on both axes were the average performance from the past year, the average growth rate on the x-axis and the average market share on the y-axis. Once completed, I reminded everyone that those markets that were above average in both growth and share were truly “Sail” markets, and leaders/drivers of our performance. Those markets that were below average in both growth and share were truly “Anchor” markets, and drags on our performance. On their own, I asked them to highlight their specific markets of responsibility and ask themselves, “were they mostly “Sails” or “Anchors””. It didn’t require any additional encouragement or discussion for each of the leaders present to identify where they needed to drive improvement and “Raise their Expectations” of performance. Try this approach with your teams and see how it can drive this idea of “Raised Expectations” across your team.


4) Be Paranoid Competitively. This idea garnered a lot of discussion and debate which deserves to be shared. While I certainly have found it productive to keep a sharp eye on competition and never underestimate the competitive landscape, the primary discussion this past week centered on the idea of giving competition too much power to alter your strategy. A great question was posed by a dear friend, “should we let competition drive our actions and thus our strategy, or should we have our strategy drive our actions and thus the competitive landscape?” Excellent question! I think the answer is simply (and complexly) both! Our strategy needs to be well informed by a deep understanding our current, and potentially future, competitors. Equally, our strategy needs to be the guide for our actions in the marketplace; impacting consumers, customers, markets and competition. This synergistic balancing act is now easy feat, but it is the strategic “dance” that is required for success.


6) Take care of yourself/Take care of your team. A member of my team shared with me that while he liked this idea a lot, he thought it was missing an important element. He said, “Bill, I think it should read “Take care of yourself/Take care of your team/Take care of your family.”” So true, I totally agree with the addition! In these accelerating times, we all need to keep our perspective about where work fits into our overall life. A friend today passed along a thought that linked this idea to a previous essay, “5% for #2.” He was at his daughter’s high school graduation and was struck by how he had wanted to spend more time for the things that were truly important, even if they might be urgent at the moment. We all need to remember that we DO work to live, not the other way around! Whether your family includes a spouse, parents, children, nieces/nephews, etc. it would benefit us all to put down our blackberries/iphones and spend more valuable time with the families that we love.


In closing, I am appreciative of the interest and dialogue over the last essay and am hopeful that these additional thoughts, “amplifications”, might be helpful as you look to find ways to “lead with a growth mindset.”

Leadership with a Growth Mindset

The landscape is changing and while nothing is ever certain, I am a deep believer that “change is certain, progress is not”. The economy has come a long way from the heights of 2007, the collapse of 2008 and the low lows of 2009. Certainly the recovery is tepid, with job growth (and in fact gdp) growing slower than anyone would like; yet the trends are still positive. In this “new” landscape of growth, I believe that we as leaders need to refresh our thinking, our priorities and our skills in order to be successful leaders with a growth mindset. Just a few years ago, I remember being in a meeting with a customer who was describing their overall flat revenue trends as “you know Bill, flat is the new up.” It’s hard to say whether that perspective was appropriate for that moment; what is not certain is that for today’s business environment, “up is the new up!”

In thinking about this dynamic, I want to share a few ideas that might be productive as we lead with an increasing “growth mindset.”

1) Raise Expectations. As leaders, we need to raise our own expectations for accelerating results in the business, capabilities across our organizations, along with our own skill sets. The last few years have been tough, really tough! With that reality there comes an understanding and possibly a tolerance for average performance. Ask yourself whether you have ever heard yourself (or other leaders) say that “with everything we’re dealing with, that performance is actually not that bad.” While tinged with compassion, I actually think it’s a disabler for an organization. We need to be vocal about raising our expectations for accelerating results AND our work performance. Think of it as the “what” and the “how”. We need to accelerate the results in the business (the “what”) and we need to improve our business practices (the”how”) across organizations. It’s my experience that if the leader doesn’t “raise the bar”, it often never gets raised.

2) Improve Talent. Over the past few years, the job market has been very tight. As business trends improve, the job markets should/will follow. In this changing landscape, we need to insure that our best, highest performing people are engaged/challenged in their roles and excited/energized to come to work every day. What is equally true is that we need to take action to remove underperformers quickly. Nothing is more de-moralizing to a high performer than a tolerated/accepted low performer. Every job opening should be thought of as an opportunity to raise the talent “bar” for the organization as a whole. I use the acronym of PTI (Progressive Talent Improvement) to remind myself that every new hire should have the capabilities/experience above the average level of the current organization. By utilizing PTI over time, you can (and should) be continually improving the organizations capabilities and potential.


3) Increase Speed, NOW! This improving business landscape is not only occurring for you and your company. It’s occurring for your competitors and their executive teams. When working on innovating new products or services, improving customer service, building new skills, or even filling open positions, do it faster. It’s dangerous to assume that you have the time to wait, time is a luxury that few businesses have!

4) Be Paranoid, competitively. I learned early on in business that competition never sleeps nor takes vacations; they’re always trying to take your business. Now I am a complete proponent of work/life balance, taking your vacation days, and getting a break from the business as an individual. My council is to be careful/paranoid as an organization. Never under assume an adversary’s capabilities and intent. If you operate with a constant “nervous itch”, you will be more likely to compete and win in any competitive landscape.

5) Increase your organizational listening and learning. As markets improve, there WILL be more innovation competitively. New products, new packaging, new technologies, etc have all been on the rise over the past few quarters. An improving business landscape will allow companies to take more risks than they have over the past few years. This reality is happening. Our opportunity as leaders is to work on ways to improve our organization’s ability to listen to, and learn from, the market place. Work to reinforce that all departments/functions could and should be more “outward” oriented; more tuned into the competitive landscape, hungrier at all times to capture and share insights and learnings from the marketplace.

6) Take care of yourself/take care of your team. As you can tell from the above topics, I clearly have the sense that the tempo and demands of business will be accelerating in the days/quarters ahead. As such, it is critical to insure that we are also taking care of our own health and the health of our teams. We all need to keep up with our sleep, our exercise, our physicals, etc. Keep an eye on your team members that are starting to work weekends and late nights regularly. Sure there will be moments when a key need/deadline requires extra-long hours, but week after week this behavior wears down an organization and ultimately reduces performance.



In closing, I want to reinforce the idea that growth is not inevitable! Certainly improving business trends are welcome (very welcome), but without a more growth oriented leadership approach, the “change” that is happening across our economy will not be translated into “progress” for you, your team, and your organization.

Best Job Ever?

Last Friday I had the pleasure to celebrate my one year anniversary as Chief Customer Officer of Bolthouse Farms. It’s been an amazing year; full of new challenges, an amazing team, and lots of learning. I have to admit that after a business career spanning more than twenty five years; it “feels” great to be learning so much. I am excited about the business, the customers and our team, and am looking forward to a great year (and years) ahead!

Last week’s anniversary started me thinking about the many jobs that I have held since I was a boy, and I started to think about which one was the “best”. It’s interesting to think back over the many part-time, summer jobs, and full time roles that I have held over my life. I have written about at least one of those occasions in “The Story of Floyd” earlier in this blog. As I reflect over my many roles/titles, (Chief Customer Officer, Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing, Brand Manager, College Tour Guide, Janitor, to name a few) I think that my best job ever was as “Pot Washer” for Dick’s Diner in Murrysville Pa.

Dick’s Diner is a classic diner that has been in business in Murrysville for over fifty years. My family ate there pretty regularly when I was a boy; and after my mother passed away in 1974, it was a god-send for my dad, my sister and me. I started working there after I turned sixteen and worked there my junior and senior years of high school. I didn’t start as “Pot Washer,” having to begin as “Bus Boy,” then moving to “Dishwasher,” and finally achieving the “Pot Washer” role! The big difference about that specific job was that you didn’t have to work a specific time-bound shift. Instead, I had a set of defined tasks that were required to complete:

1) Clean all the pots from the days’ cooking (there was always a mountain)
2) Sweep and mop all bathrooms, replace towel rolls in all bathrooms
3) Help the dishwasher during the dinner rush
4) Bring up all the ingredients needed by the night bakers from the basement storeroom
5) 15 minute dinner break all food free except Steak, Shrimp and Cherry Pie (Free as long as you had finished your dinner in the 15 minutes!)

As I think back to that role, there are a few specific characteristics that made that job stand out from all the others:

Solid Skills for Success: After the previous two roles, I was very knowledgeable of how things actually worked at the diner and was I ready to succeed in the role. I knew how to manage my own time, accomplish the work that needed to be done, and work smoothly with the others working that same shift.

Clear Knowledge of Expectations: I knew what was expected and I knew what “winning “looked like. We never had to guess what the boss was thinking about, or wonder what was the latest “strategic priority” of the quarter! The diner was a 24 hour machine that never closed so if the pots didn’t get washed, of the baking didn’t get finished at night, the machine wouldn’t run, simple as that.

Strong Sense of Community: I was proud to work at the diner as a boy and still to this day, when I return to my hometown, I always stop by for a slice of pie, or a cup of coffee. On a recent trip, I stopped by for breakfast and saw a few waitresses that I had worked with back in 1978 and 1979. It was amazing; they were still waiting tables with vigor, and carrying plates of western omelet’s and home fries with grace.

Ability to Learn and Teach: In the “Pot Washer” role, I had the chance to work closely with the day cooks and the night bakers, always listening to tips and ideas on what made the chili so good (a bit of chocolate) or what made the rolls so fluffy (allowing a triple rise.) Also, the “Pot Washer” always took the new busboys under their wing, teaching them the ropes and the ins and outs of the Diner.

These four elements of job success/happiness, Solid Skills for Success, Clear Knowledge of Expectations, Strong Sense of Community, and Ability to Learn and Teach, all ring true today. Think about the role you’re in today, or the roles that you have had in the past. Doesn’t it connect that if you have had all four of these elements in place, you would be happier and more successful in the role? What’s also interesting is to think topic not from the vantage point of an employee, but as a manager. Ask yourself whether you are creating an environment where associates:

are building skills for future success?
have a clear knowledge of expectations?
have a strong sense of community?
have the ability to learn and teach?

Postscript: As I post this essay, I am excited to say that I am on my way to Murrysville and ultimately Dick’s Diner! I have had the pleasure to stay close to three of my childhood buddies, Rob, Jim and Dave, all three whom I have known since the seventh grade. This weekend is Jimmy’s fiftieth birthday party and we are all gathering to celebrate this momentous occasion. It’s hilarious to get back together with a bunch of guys that you first met in the midst of the Watergate hearings, and whom you have been telling stories to and about since the early 70’s! I am certain that we will stop at the Diner at some point over the weekend, and I am wondering if I will still recognize a few of the waitresses form the old days!

One of the specialties of the Diner, and one of my personal favorites, is their Swiss steak, served over Mashed Potatoes. While I have never been successful to get their recipe, what follows is the recipe for Robby’s mom, Mrs. Manning, which is a dead ringer! (I think the Diner added carrots to their recipe, great either way)
Enjoy!


Swiss Steak Recipe

The Golden Rule at Dulles Airport

It started out as a pretty regular morning. The skies were cloudy with a drizzle of rain as I picked up my car and headed out to the Bakersfield airport. A bit before 5am, I had a 6am flight to Denver, connecting to flights that day to Washington Dulles and then on to Rochester N.Y. In a flashback to earlier stories (see the essay, “The story of Clarissa”), I went past the Enterprise Rental Car office on the corner of 24th and Chester on my way to the airport. It seems like a lifetime ago since I had that crazy cab ride, but only 14 months have gone by. Time is funny that way, it seems only yesterday that my kids were born (12 and 10 years ago), and yet it seems like years since Clarissa picked me up on that rainy morning in Bakersfield!

The first legs of my travels went without a hitch, arriving early in Denver and scoring an exit row seat on the flight to Dulles. It was in our nation’s capital that things started to come off the rails. Originally I had a tight connection and I was a bit worried of making the gate change; as it turned out, that was the least of my worries! After boarding one of the motorized people movers to change terminals, I arrived at my gate for the Rochester flight with 20 minutes to spare. Closer than I like, but I had made it! The flight was originally scheduled for a 4:53pm departure, with plans to arrive in Rochester by 6:00pm. Soon after arriving at the gate, I saw that the flight was posted as delayed due to weather. I checked on-line and while the Washington D.C. area was experiencing showers, Rochester was under a full blown snow storm. I know after living in Atlanta for over 20 years I’ve become a bit soft, but snow showers on March 23rd just seems a bit much! Well that snow packed a punch, and for the next 4 hours the flight kept getting delayed 3o minutes at a shot. It was maddening, and the crowd at the gate became more agitated by the hour. Thankfully there wasn’t a bar close-by or else the delayed passengers could have become an ugly mob after the first few hours of continuous delays!

Well at 9:15pm, 5 hours after I arrived at the gate, we were cleared for boarding. Finally, better late than never! We quickly got into our seats, stashed our Ipads & Kindles, and got ready for the snow to the north. After a few minutes of not closing the boarding door, I started to contemplate trouble. Indeed, the pilot came on the PA system and shared that he was frustrated to have to communicate that the flight had just been cancelled by the airline. We wait 5 hours, board the plane, and THEN cancel the flight? Really? While I was fuming, some of my fellow travelers weren’t quite as restrained. A few “fbombs” were thrown around and we stormed off the plane and into the night.

For me, my situation had just changed dramatically. I needed to find a hotel, no more flights that night, and try again in the morning. I got on my phone to track down a hotel and headed towards baggage claim and ground transportation, roller bag and briefcase in tow. I was out at the curb waiting for a hotel shuttle when someone with an 803 area code started calling my cell. I didn’t recognize the number and at first ignored the call. After the second try, I picked up the phone and found a serious male voice on the other end. This fellow, named Will, asked me to identify myself and whether I had left my IPad in seat 14 B. It is now 10:30pm, I’m on the curb of the airport, and I check my bag and indeed my IPad is not to be found. Ugh!!!! Will suggested that I come back into the airport and find baggage claim carousel 5, and he would bring the IPad to me there in 30-45 minutes. It seemed a bit surreal, sitting back in the airport waiting for a stranger to help me out after a very frustrating 6 hours or so.

It was only 20 minutes later that an airline pilot came around the corner and asked if I was Bill Levisay. After showing him my ID, he handed me the IPad and said that they had found it as they were cleaning out the airplane after we had de-planed. Will had been the captain of my flight to Rochester, and had come out through security to help me. I asked if he was heading to find a hotel and crash for the night. He answered that after that long delay and the cancellation, he was waiting to hear where he was going to have to fly that night but he expected to have to fly somewhere at midnight , so he was looking for coffee. I thanked Will profusely and asked why he had brought the IPad to me himself. He looked over his shoulder as he walked away and said that if it had been his IPad, he would have wanted someone to do the same for him. The Golden Rule alive and well at Dulles at 10:45pm on a rainy Wednesday night.

My mood lifted as I boarded the hotel shuttle, IPad in tow. I was thinking not only about the warm bed ahead but about Will the pilot, flying out later that night, and how he had reminded at least one weary traveler to try to be open and generous to fellow travelers on this journey called life!


The Universality of the Golden Rule in the World Religions


Christianity All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:1
Confucianism Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no resentment against you, either in the family or in the state.
Analects 12:2
Buddhism Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
Udana-Varga 5,1
Hinduism This is the sum of duty; do naught onto others what you would not have them do unto you.
Mahabharata 5,1517
Islam No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.
Sunnah
Judaism What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman. This is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.
Talmud, Shabbat 3id
Taoism Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.
Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien
Zoroastrianism That nature alone is good which refrains from doing another whatsoever is not good for itself.
Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5

Third Time Flying !

Well at 4:45 am at the Bentonville airport I guess anything can happen. While my hectic travel schedule sometimes requires some crazy scheduling, 4:45 am was pretty early for me! Maybe not surprisingly, the airport was starting to get busy for the morning flights and I picked up my boarding pass form the kiosk and headed up the escalator to go through security. I wasn’t paying much attention but right at the top of the escalators, just before the security line, there were three adults giving each other hugs. There was an older couple, maybe 70, and a middle aged woman (maybe their daughter), all sharing tearful goodbyes. Trying not to eavesdrop, I gave them a wide berth and went into security. Just before walking out of earshot, I heard the older woman exclaim, “you know honey, I’m pretty nervous… this is only my third time flying.” I was blown away, with this seemingly impossible “truth” ringing in my ears. “Third time flying”, you’ve got to be kidding! Just this week alone, across a seven day period, I will have taken flights from Atlanta>Bentonville Ark.>Dallas>Los Angeles>Phoenix>Atlanta. I will have flown on five flights in less than seven days and this is kind of an average week for me these days!

Before anyone starts to critique my current travel schedule (there’s plenty of critique to go around), let’s get back to that security line. It just seemed amazing that in this day and age, someone that age could have flown so little. I took a moment to look back at the couple as they joined me in the security line. They seemed so different from me; unsure of the security process, the gentleman trying to wear his “leatherette” coat through the x-ray machine, the woman refusing to take off her shoes. I have to admit that I found myself thinking how different I was from these two novice travelers. In a quick motion, I had my laptop and my pc out of my briefcase, shoes off, two trays filled as I quickly and silently made it through the x-ray machine. I felt superior to the older couple, more traveled, worldlier, more capable, etc….

One thing is true about the Bentonville airport, once through security there really is no place to go! I gathered my bags, slipped on my shoes (slip-ons, never tied) and stood around waiting for the coffee shop to open at 5:00am. After a few minutes and some false starts, the older couple came through security and looked around the waiting area. Instantly, the man caught the eye of the middle aged woman/daughter on the other side of the glass partition and ran to the glass. He put his hand up to the glass, matching his hand in hers on the other side of the glass, and said with tears flowing that he would “miss his honey so much while he was gone, but don’t worry, we’ll be back Sunday.” It was so real, so honest and in a rush all I wanted was to be at the glass, matching my hand with the hands of my daughter Marie, my son Bryson and my dear wife Jennie!

I felt ashamed of myself for being so lost in my own world and judging theirs. This morning, before dawn at a small Arkansas airport, I learned a lesson about what we should value. Rather than being impressed by medallion points, roller bags, or efficient slip-on shoes, I was reminded once again that the true things of value in life are often found in a tearful goodbye or a smiling welcome home! Marie, Bryson, and Jennie, I can’t wait to see you when I get home on Sunday!!!