August 2024 - 58

POHMER ON ...
knew all that. The young man said excitedly, " I was the one
who packed your parachute! "
Charles was incredulous and expressed tremendous
gratitude, saying " If the chute you packed didn't work, I
wouldn't be here today! "
Charles thought of the many hours the sailor had
spent at the long table in the bowels of the ship, carefully
weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute,
holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he
didn't know, with the understanding that, most likely, the
parachute would never be used, yet there was always the
chance. This gave the sailor the incentive to continue doing
his job, and doing it well; some random pilot's life may
someday depend on him.
Recognizing Others
As Charles relates it, everyone has someone who
provides what they need to make it through each day,
most of whom you'll never know or see. Charles said he
needed many kinds of parachute the day he was shot
down and throughout his POW captivity - he needed his
physical parachute, his emotional parachute, his mental
parachute and his spiritual parachute.
Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us,
we miss what is really important. We may fail to say a
simple hello, please or thank you, congratulate someone
on something significant in their lives, or give them
a compliment. Make it a habit and take the time to
recognize people - you never know who packed your
parachute, who is packing your parachute today or who
may pack it tomorrow.
And as I thought more about Charles' message and
making it a guidepost in my own life, I started asking
myself a second, equally important question: Whose
parachute am I packing? Because our service and support
to others is our true mission in this life, whether it be
business or personal.
No one can be successful on their own or make it
through life by their individual efforts alone; it takes a
whole bunch of folks - you'll know some, but most will be
complete strangers. I hope you'll never have to go through
anything as tragic or dramatic as what Charles Plumb
experienced to make you start thinking about these two
questions that can change your approach to life.
Consider these questions: Who packed your parachute?
Whose parachute are you packing?
Stan Pohmer is president of Pohmer Consulting Group in
Minnetonka, Minnesota. He can be reached at spohmer@
pohmer-consulting.com.
58 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | AUGUST 2024

https://www.knoxfert.com/

August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2024

Editor's Letter
Contents
AmericanHort
Headlines/Calendar
The Garden Center Show Attendee Guide
GCS: Schedule at a Glance
GCS: Educational Sessions Schedule
GCS: Meet Our Speakers
GCS: Show Floor Map
GCS: 2024 Exhibitor Listings
Innovator of the Year: Innovating the Future
Technology: Embracing Change
Showcase: Garden Accents & Décor
Management: Turning a Lifelong Education Into a Business
Showcase: Miniature/Indoor Gardening
Event Central: Goat Yoga
Showcase: Garden Pharmacy
Marketing: Mastering Live Selling
Holiday: A Winter Wonderland
Pohmer On ... : Who Packed Your Parachute?
Marketplace
Ad Index
5 Minutes with ...: Melinda Koetsiers
August 2024 - 1
August 2024 - 2
August 2024 - 3
August 2024 - Editor's Letter
August 2024 - 5
August 2024 - Contents
August 2024 - 7
August 2024 - AmericanHort
August 2024 - 9
August 2024 - Headlines/Calendar
August 2024 - 11
August 2024 - 12
August 2024 - The Garden Center Show Attendee Guide
August 2024 - GCS: Schedule at a Glance
August 2024 - 15
August 2024 - GCS: Educational Sessions Schedule
August 2024 - 17
August 2024 - 18
August 2024 - 19
August 2024 - GCS: Meet Our Speakers
August 2024 - 21
August 2024 - GCS: Show Floor Map
August 2024 - 23
August 2024 - GCS: 2024 Exhibitor Listings
August 2024 - 25
August 2024 - 26
August 2024 - 27
August 2024 - Innovator of the Year: Innovating the Future
August 2024 - 29
August 2024 - 30
August 2024 - 31
August 2024 - 32
August 2024 - 33
August 2024 - 34
August 2024 - A1
August 2024 - A2
August 2024 - A3
August 2024 - A4
August 2024 - 35
August 2024 - 36
August 2024 - 37
August 2024 - Technology: Embracing Change
August 2024 - 39
August 2024 - 40
August 2024 - 41
August 2024 - Showcase: Garden Accents & Décor
August 2024 - 43
August 2024 - Management: Turning a Lifelong Education Into a Business
August 2024 - 45
August 2024 - Showcase: Miniature/Indoor Gardening
August 2024 - Event Central: Goat Yoga
August 2024 - Showcase: Garden Pharmacy
August 2024 - 49
August 2024 - Marketing: Mastering Live Selling
August 2024 - 51
August 2024 - Holiday: A Winter Wonderland
August 2024 - 53
August 2024 - 54
August 2024 - 55
August 2024 - Pohmer On ... : Who Packed Your Parachute?
August 2024 - 57
August 2024 - 58
August 2024 - 59
August 2024 - Marketplace
August 2024 - 61
August 2024 - 62
August 2024 - 63
August 2024 - 64
August 2024 - Ad Index
August 2024 - 5 Minutes with ...: Melinda Koetsiers
August 2024 - 67
August 2024 - 68
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