Electronic House Call - November 23, 2007

ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and colleagues in the US. I read today that while the Pilgrims may have had the first Thanksgiving meal, they only did it once. That may be the way some of you feel about it today! Still, it is a good excuse to stop for a moment and get back in touch with gratitude.

You have other more important things to do today that read this, so I will make it short. Besides, we have 11 people coming over for dinner in a few hours and there is still work to do!

BE THANKFUL
This is Thanksgiving weekend in the US, a time when we pause and give thanks for our blessings ... and we have many. In no particular order, here are a few that come to mind:

I am thankful that you allow me into your life every week to rattle on about my latest hare-brained idea or what I think is happening in our industry ... even that you occasionally you let me go on a rant and chew you out about it. Whether you agree or disagree with my thoughts, the fact that you even consider them is humbling.

I am thankful for my wife and partner, Margene, who understands what I am trying to do (at least most of the time) and has the courage to support my continuing to do it. Most women would have insisted that I look for a "real job" long ago.

I am thankful to continue to work in and around an industry that I love, doing what I love to do. The foodservice industry is about creating a place of hospitality, of making others feel good, about "making their day" ... and people who do that for a living are the best people on the planet to spend time with.

I am thankful that so many of you have taken the time to share your ideas with me over the years. I continue to learn from all of you and have come to regard many of you as personal friends, even though we have never met. Perhaps one day we can all get together on the beach in Mexico, sip a few Margaritas and laugh at folks who still work for a living!

Happy Thanksgiving.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
"What did you learn from your family today?"
Your "homework" for today is to make a conscious effort to be a better listener when dealing with your family. Clear your head, quiet your mind, drop distractions and really BE with them when you are with them. You never know what you will learn about them ... and yourself ... in the process.