Do 148 Years Really Make a Difference?

Between the November elections, multiple shootings and the fiscal cliff drama, 2012 was quite intense. Personally, I was more than ready to turn the calendar to 2013. But the holidays were a great respite from it all. I took the opportunity to enjoy some time with family and recharge my batteries. Seeing the movie Lincoln was a real treat. I love history, and the film does a marvelous job portraying President Lincoln's final months in office.

The parallels between then and now are quite striking. We keep hearing that our current Congress is more divided than ever, but today's bruising political landscape is nothing new. Passage of the Thirteenth Amendment was nothing short of amazing. All of the drama, party politics and self-interest that exist today were on full display back in 1865. The political divide was significant, even more so when you consider that the South was not even participating in the vote.

Sadly, there were shootings in 1865, and we certainly have had more than our share of brutal shootings in recent months.

So where's the upside? Is there one? Absolutely! Ultimately the process works, and we move forward. Despite our problems and the messy process of cleaning them up, we do make progress. Back in 1865, the Civil War ended and the nation became one. Slavery ended.

Today, we continue to tackle new problems. In our industry, we've weathered funding issues, airline deregulation and consolidation, 9/11 and multiple recessions. Despite the ups and downs, more people want to travel by air. And when adjusted for inflation, they do so at lower costs than 30 years ago.

Our safety record continues to improve; we're offering more amenities to customers; and our facilities are capable of more and more. Who knows what the rest of 2013 will bring? Certainly there will be challenges, both small and large. History shows us that growth is not always pretty; but at the end of the day - the end of the year- we continue to make progress. I look forward to working with you in this New Year.

Cheers.