Phoenix Open

On weekend afternoons, Fred and I like to lounge in the den and put on golf or basketball, but golf is definitely more chill, and while Fred naps, I usually get stoned and catch up on reading.

I love watching golf. I attempted to play it in between one of my careers, but it just didn’t stick. I get it, but the whole gestalt doesn’t work for me, although I applaud it.  

The Phoenix Open was this past weekend. It is an entirely different experience than any other open. Stadium box seating is built annually for this event. The concept is that this place is for the people. There is even a rope drop, like skiing, for a run that begins at 715am to get the best seats on the course—nothing quiet and elitist at this golfing event.

For every fan wearing green, WM gives $1 towards giving back, and that adds to the $14.5m that is towards giving back this past year. Charity is what it is all about, and their annual giving is impressive.

When it comes to sustainability, they are up there. It is part of their mission. What does WM do? They are a publically traded waste management company. The Zappos of waste management. The company does things like Zappos, but the principles are the driving force. I was blown away by the CEO, who seems to have led WM into a next-generation company.  Everything he was speaking about regarding charity sustainability and all the people was music to my ears. I was blown away.

These days, there is so much rhetoric that fuels anger that I have come to believe I am in the minority when it comes to empathy. That could be caring about lifting others, making our planet healthier, and doing the right thing without bureaucracy, but it is not something I have seen in a while. Could it possibly be that a publically traded company of this size seems to have done it right? If so, it makes me return to my optimistic self and gives me some faith in our future.