Sharing Time

I am very excited for my service this year. My family always has a blast when we are with this person. We have similar practices when it comes to organizing or executing. I feel that our families like the same things as well. So I started the task (before summer was over), to search out that one event that defines this person............and I searched..............and searched............and prayed.............and prayed...................then I asked Char. She suggested that I give a little extra love to one of my managers.

Like every work atmosphere, I have a few managers that are less than simplistic to work with. LUS had three shift managers and one station manager. LAA had I don't know how many. The new AA has six shift managers and one station manager. Two of those managers are on their own agenda. I could tell you all the exciting aspects of each one. However, I will just focus on one. My person has shared a few stories involving their managers that have "created" a SOP for their own agenda.

So one of my managers Chris, is a LAA employee. With the completion of any merger, there is going to be some adjustments on both sides. Whether the employee on either side likes those adjustments, it does not matter. There is going to be some compromises to create a "better" company. So with US Airways purchasing American Airlines, we have seen A LOT of compromises.

By the way, because of the nature of this article, I am unable to publish any pictures.........Meaning.............I didn't take any.

First, I need to give you some background. LAA never had a union. So it was like a regular company that made the regulations and procedures for  their employees. Now that AA is unionized, it is the union that regulates the procedures of the employees.

So back to Chris. He is still old school in that his mind thinks of finding a solution when he sees a situation that needs attention. Whether it be a back up at the counter or someone needing a break at the gate, he just tries to get it done. That may all sound well and good. However, some procedures are not allowed per the Contract. So a grievance can be filed and the Union basically slaps the companies hand. It is a HUGE thing with some people. Chris may also from time to time create his own procedures for some reason. For example, there was one time when I was assigned to work the gates but was sent to the counter for an hour to help out. When a person works at the ticket counter they have a key core assigned to them that they install in the drawer to keep all the cash and audit coupons. Because my base was the gates, I did not bring my key core. All I was supposed to be doing was slinging bags. That means tagging bags that are being checked to the passengers final destination. When a passenger came to me to pay cash for their bags, I told them I could not take cash and they would have to wait in the main line. After a while, Chris overheard me saying this and told me that I had to take cash. I explained to him that I was going to the gates and was just helping out for a while at the counter. He told me that didn't matter and I was to take cash. I told him I would rather not take cash when I didn't have a place to hold it. He told me to put it in my pocket!.....Hello. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this? So it basically went back and forth as my coworkers joined in to inform him of the Contract. So it was different occurrences like that that made him seem like a an outsider that didn't know what he was talking about. This has caused a lot of people not to like him.

So what Charise suggested to me was to pick a manager and be nice to them. This would be an act of kindness to those managers that may not be the best of attitudes in the work environment. There could be a reason for their actions. When we are not familiar with the other side, we should not judge. Usually when a person is treated kindly, they naturally return in the same manner. So this was the plan. Hopefully someone out there would treat my recipients managers nice and they would be nice to them. So this is what I started out doing. It was a little hard because I would not always work with Chris. I was getting frustrated and wanting to do a lot more interaction with Chris. Then it happened. Information that would fulfill my need for my service. A golden ticket if you will.

Now, let me shift gears. As we all know, sometimes we are not able to fulfill our church callings at times. There have been numerous times that I am at church and Mitzi comes to me and says that she has a class with no teacher or she needs someone to be two deep. I naturally rise to the occasion and fill that vacancy. This has happened numerous times with the same outcome. It is tough for a primary president to do everything. That is why they have counselors. I know that Mitzi is not the only one out there that needs help.

In honor of Amy's new calling. I am glad that I could take just a little of the stress off of Mitzi's responsibilities. I am pretty sure that Amy will be having these same issues. Hopefully there will be someone in Anchorage that will take care of her. Amy, I am excited about your new calling. You are fantastic with little kids. They can sense your love for them. Heavenly Father has put you in this calling for a reason. We don't know why or how. All we know is that we will be blessed. Merry Christmas to you and your family. I love you.

OK. I threw these pictures in here just because.