Spreading the Cheer

Whatever you may think of the airlines these days, it's nice to see one get it right. I mean, I'm not a real frequent flyer by the standards of those poor slobs who have to travel 2, 3, or more days per week. We're lucky if we manage one trip a month, at best. It's enough, however, to realize that air travel, at least the commercial variant, is short on glamour and long on tedium.  Nonetheless, those airlines usually do get you where you want to go pretty quickly and in one piece.

When I saw this posted at one of the gates in Phoenix last weekend I had to snap a picture. Corny? Perhaps. But, darn it anyway, thanks for shedding the corporate armor for a bit, US Airways. On a Sunday when the airport was absolutely jammed with seasonal travelers I'm sure many of the people in that gate area didn't really care. But the little ones loved it, along with anyone else who still finds the time and place to spread a little holiday cheer. And who knows, maybe it chipped the ice off the cold exterior of a few of those air-weary business types as well.

Today is the day I traditionally make my list and check it twice. By the 24th most all of the last minute shoppers are done, leaving the stores relatively open and easy to navigate for shoppers like me. But yesterday, the 23rd, we made plans to meet friends for lunch and so I found myself immersed in a fluid mass of holiday shoppers. It was insane. In spite of the lateness of the hour, in spite of the swarm of urgent consumers, in spite of sales floors that were to remain open until 10PM and, by all appearances, would require another 2 hours to tidy-- in spite of all the drama I was pleased to find so many salespeople who remained helpful, patient, and, well, down right cheery.

Its a tired adage but often true: Happiness is a choice. I hope that you are among the fortunate who will be able to relax a bit today and tomorrow. Stay cool, calm, and take a page from those spirited employees where I shopped and at US Airways: Choose to spread a little cheer.