I travel a fair amount. As a business owner, it is easy to get institutionalized with your business. It is hard to let it go. For me to relax and recharge, I have to leave STL – force myself to be AWAY from the business. This is the only way to unplug.

I was flying Frontier Airlines. They apparently are proud of their ‘signature’ chocolate chip cookies. I must admit, this particular cookie was delicious. It was warm, as if fresh out of the oven. The person next to me mentioned about what a delight this was compared to other airlines. It got me thinking how conditioned we are to have low expectations of airlines now. I remember the good old days. Not the Sinatra days where people were smoking and drinking highballs out of glass. I mean the days where they would give you the whole can of soda and provide a meal.

So, there I was on the plane wrestling with this dilemma. Is the warm cookie the standard for excellent service or an easy illusion to mask mediocrity? Or, does it matter? I was quite thrilled with the cookie. I guess it comes down to what do we need right now, given the present circumstances. There is no standard for happiness – just the appreciation of what you have and the efforts of other to provide even a little bit more.

– Jason