Good Morning All & Happy Friday!
Happy Birthday to friend Dusti in Spokane…wife, mother and lover of souls extraordinaire and to friend, former client, banker and lover of golf (a champion of “First Tee”) extraordinaire Tom in Spokane! Here’s to you two on your special day of celebration!
Happy Birthday wishes also go to former major league baseball star Roberto Alomar, who is 53 today; to actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, who turns 59 today; one of my favorite actresses, Barbara Hershey of “The Andersons” T.V. series and “The Natural” movie fame, who is 73 today; to actor/producer extraordinaire Christopher Guest of “The Princess Bride” and “Best In Show” movie fame, who turns 73 today; to former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach, who is 79 today; and T.V. producer extraordinaire Stephen J. Cannell, who turns 80 today. Here’s to all of you!
I was able to spend some time the other night with one of my favorite animals, “Miss Lucy Lu”, the loving chocolate lab that belongs to my daughter Andy’s family. I laid down on the floor next to her bed and we had the best time of exchanging kisses and belly scratches and lots of petting. I have to say it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Our Creator certainly made dogs for a good reason…there’s nothing like unconditional love between a dog and a human being. I got lots of slobbery kisses from Lucy and loved every minute of it. A dog seems to have a wonderful calming effect on you…certainly something we all need in these trying times. One of my fondest memories of Montana and The Tana House will be when Lucy and I hiked up into the “back forty” in the Winter a few years back behind The Tana House into the National Forest that is part of the “Great Bear Wilderness” and had a ball exploring the back roads and the forest areas…lots of new sights and sounds for Lucy. She was ecstatic for being in the wilderness with no leash…she was free to explore and frolic along the back roads. I’ll never forget that day!
Here’s the thought for the day:
There was a great article that appeared in the “Flathead Beacon” at the end of December, 2020 that’s worth sharing with you. It was actually an editorial piece written by Maggie Doherty, one of the owners of Kalispell Brewing Company. Her weekly editorial page is entitled “Facing Main.” The title of this particular piece was “Discipline.” Here are some excerpts:
“What do discipline, resilience, and hope all have in common? To me, they’re attributes required to launch a small business and endure-slash-survive a pandemic. When I make this comparison, I don’t want to undermine the devastation the COVID-19 crisis has causes, including the more than 300,000 Americans who’ve died from it. Yet there’s a strong correlation between what it takes to start a business and what it takes to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. Personal freedom need not apply here.
Discipline is required when you want to start a business: the hours are long, and they continue to be long once the operation is up and running. It’s tempting to slack a bit, maybe take a day off, skimp on employee training, or shy away from an uncomfortable discussion between a supplier, but in the end, you know that your business won’t survive long without discipline…
…Small business owners across America know a lot about resilience and this lesson was dealt in multiple blows this year…Many of us, especially in the food service and hospitality industries continue to adapt to restrictions on capacity, doing our best to make it through a difficult year while also being responsible to the health and safety of our employees and customers. A big socially distanced high-five to those businesses in the Flathead Valley who’ve adapted to meet this challenge and I know you’ll continue to do so.
With resilience we have hope. You don’t go through the arduous labor of launching your own company without hope…
…Discipline, resilience, and hope might not win you talking points on some social media site, or sound cool but they’re the foundation for excellence. During this holiday season, I’m recommitting myself to these tenets, for myself, my family and my community…”
Maggie Doherty, “Discipline,” “Flathead Beacon,” December 23, 2020, page 28
Reading Maggie’s column made me think of my daughter Amy’s fight to keep her business going in these tough times…Here’s to her, Maggie and all small business owners and their employees across America!
Here’s to a great Friday and lots of love & good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)