Favorite Things

You know what some of my favorite things are?  When two people are walking down the sidewalk side by side and another couple approaches also walking side by side, I like when someone from each pair goes in front or behind the other, single file, so passing is easy.  I like it when I see people walking through a parking lot, picking up trash and properly disposing of it even though it isn’t their trash.

Know what else?  I like it when you hold a door for someone, and they say thank you or when you let someone in in front of you while driving and they give you a wave of appreciation.  I think I like these things more than ever because they seem to be getting rarer and rarer.  They shouldn’t be rare.  They should be commonplace, common courtesy, common sense, whatever you want to label it.

It sometimes seems human beings have become an entitled bunch.  Can’t get to the front fast enough, can’t wait, can’t understand, can’t talk, can’t empathize.  As the Beatles song goes, “All through the day, I, me, mine. I, me, mine, I, me, mine”.  I realize that doesn’t apply to everyone, but it sure seems more frequent than ever.

That’s why, at Freedom, we emphasize the little things.  A greeting, a smile, a pleasant tone, a commitment to help, to serve and deliver a positive experience even if the face of difficult times.  We can’t change the world, but we can do our part, and by our example, we encourage others to do the same.

The Truth Is In Here

I don’t know how many of you are X-Files fans or if you ever even heard of the show, but it was always one of my favorites. I don’t know if it was the story line, the conspiracy theories about otherworldly encounters or the characters themselves. Probably a combination of them all. The tag line of the show, “The Truth Is Out There” was all about the idea that there is more than meets the eye. That we must put aside the things we had believed in to look for a greater truth. We’re not searching for extraterrestrial life at Freedom, but we are looking for a certain truth.

Our truth is our purpose. Something we think we know, but are proving is so much more. The truth about Freedom as a financial institution is that we do loans (mortgages, business, auto, anything, etc.); we provide a variety of saving products and high earning deposit accounts; we have mobile and online banking; we have a nationwide ATM network; and so on and so on. This is obvious to anyone who bothers to look. The deeper truth, our greater purpose, is the service we provide to, and the partnerships we forge with, our members and the community. Moreover, this truth is something we should never stop pursuing.

Banking is what we do, NOT who we are. But don’t take my word for it. Talk to us, do business with us, discover your own truth and experience the Freedom difference. After all, why bank at a Bank when banking is better at Freedom.

Mike