Nuts About Southwest

I'd say it crept up on me, but I'd be fibbing. I've been looking forward to this for a while, and I'm using it as an excuse to make my Grandma Betty's Chocolate-Pistachio bundt cake.

Southwest gives each of its Employees so many different Freedoms--the Freedom to travel; the Freedom to continue to grow and learn; the Freedom to be financially secure; the Freedom to stay healthy; the Freedom to have fun--not quite as fancy as the Freedoms and rights expressed in the U. S. Constitution, but extensive, fulfilling freedoms nonetheless.

I'd like to believe that Southwest is known for not treating People, either Customers or Employees, like numbers. It wouldn't fit with our Corporate Culture. Yeah, numbers are a big part of any business--and we have a lot of departments that crunch, compile, chart, and report numbers. Numbers measure. Numbers represent progress and gains and losses.

I love watching medical shows on TV. Love the drama, love the lingo. Medical shows are great for using language that the rest of us don't use in our everyday lives. "He's crashing! Get the blue team in here --STAT!" I wonder if doctors used the same terms away from work: "John--the Girl Scouts are here with the cookies!

Last week, I was out to dinner with a very good friend of mine. We were celebrating her birthday at one of our favorite restaurants, and after dinner, we decided to continue the evening at our favorite watering hole.