The Navy Helicopter On My Desk

Why do I have a Navy chopper on my desk? You might think it was because my dad was in the Navy. My father is very proud of his service during the Korean War and every time I look over at the chopper, I do think of my dad. But his service is not the reason I keep that chopper on my desk.

The 1990 movie, The Hunt for Red October is a favorite film. As the movie climbs to its apex, the main character Jack Ryan needs to get aboard the submarine USS Dallas. His only way there is by helicopter. Because of its distance, the chopper needs to be stripped from equipment and fuel to succeed in its mission. "only way we can get you that far north is to strip it down and turn it into a flying gas can".

Since the onset of the pandemic, we have lost 6 part-time employees who no longer wish to work. "It's not the work, it's not the pay... it's just that the customers have gotten so hard."

I get it. Consumer expectations and demands are at an all-time high. I will miss every one of those six, their tenure here ranged from 6 years to 25 years.

At Exotic Flowers, we are now in a flying gas can. Nothing will compromise the mission at hand. Our helicopter is flying with its base crew and will see every mission through. While this may be stressful, the mission remains.