"Flower Day"

Long ago when one didn't need to show State I.D. just to buy flu medicine pass through a metal detector to enter a middle school or get strip searched at the air port.

Back in that innocent time when one watched TV via a hot bulky cathode-ray tube, and Gay Marriage, and legal Cannabis were dreams of the far away future.

In that distant happy time I instituted a minor tradition at radio WBAI, wbai.org.

"Flower Day"

This is a small mention from my life, and times my decades at wbai radio. I'll stuff it somewhere in that book I'm writing about those daze. Anyway simply put I thought it would be sweet to give everyone at the station a flower.

A tip of the hat to our once being mission central to the "Flower Power Movement" some centuries back. That, and it might I hoped help morale. Then as always we were under all manner of chaotic pressures, and mayhem.

So from the newest intern to the management team such as they were everyone got a bloom! I did this seasonally for several years. In Spring Summer, and Fall.

I'd take a $100. bucks or so out of my savings go downtown to various wholesalers...never buy retail!! I'd choose bundles of flowers. All kinds. Oh the scent of them I can still smell them now.

My there were daisies azaleas tulips violets iris roses buttercups...oh the fragrance of a brace of buttercups! Also bluebells foxgloves babies breath crocuses the works!

I'd haul this lovely lot up to the station which at the time was just off Times Square...a lot of stories there, but another time. I'd get this rainbow of wonders into a side office, and divide, and arrange them for presentation to the staff.

These were my friends my family, and I loved them. The presentations always got a bright, and cheerful reception...mostly. A few refused them for extreme ideological reasons...??? Some others because they were just sour buttholes.

Aw well.

With all the chaos, and many pressures the staff daily faced I thought this would be a sweet'n happy respite. It was. I was happy to do it, and my comrades were happy to receive them, ...mostly