Week 9 – Broken Wing

Hope all is going well.  I know some of you are looking at the title for this week’s blog and thinking that this might be an introspective article or a somber piece about the business or myself.  Actually, it’s the exact opposite of these.  It all started last month when we were visiting Arizona for the BioInterface meeting.  Arizona is such a nice area.  Tina and I visited there several years ago (specifically Sedona) and just fell in love with the beauty of the area.  The red rock formations and deep, dark night sky can really take your breath away.  Words really do not do it justice.  Being from the east coast, we really do not get to see that kind of scenery.  If you have the opportunity like we did (we are grateful to have), I would highly suggest putting this onto your bucket list if you are looking for a picturesque vacation destination.  After the meeting in Tempe, we decided to head back to Sedona for a few days to see the area again.  I’m not sure when or if we would have the chance to do it again so the meeting provided us with the perfect excuse to revisit the area since the meeting brought us close to it.

After visiting Sedona, we started to head back to Phoenix to catch our flight home.  We decided to stop for lunch at a place we visited with the team during the meeting called Culinary Dropout at the Yard.  The food and the atmosphere were excellent so we decided to give it another go.  We opted to sit outside in a covered part of the restaurant.  Tina and I noticed a few pigeons came inside the dining area.  Many of you might not know it but I have a strong opinion of the pigeon.  It started over 37 years ago when I first started dating Tina.  Tina’s dad Shorty (his name was really Salvatore but everyone called him Shorty) sat me down and gave me the history of homing pigeons.  He knew a lot about them because he used to train them to race, which is no small undertaking.  I think he thought that I would be interested in taking that on but while I was fascinated by them, I was not interested in racing them.  To give you an idea, his pigeons along with hundreds of other racers from across the area would be dropped off as far as Ohio.   This is over 600 miles away.  They would be released with all the other pigeons at the same time.  They would need to figure out which direction was home and head there.  Imagine dropping a person off with no compass somewhere and telling them to find home (without GPS).  Pretty amazing!  Sadly, Shorty is no longer with us, but every time we see a pigeon, we think of him and smile.  Tina and I always joke that maybe Shorty was reincarnated as a pigeon.  

The pigeons we saw that day were not bothering anyone.  They were taking advantage of any food being left behind on the floor or on the table after people had left.  One pigeon, who seemed to be braver than the others, we affectionately named Broken Wing.  As you can see in the picture (this is really him), Broken Wing really had a defective appendage at least from appearance.  As I watched him closer, I could see that he/she could use the wing.  Broken Wing was more curious and bolder than the other pigeons in the space, willing to come close to us as we “dropped” small pieces of the pretzel we were eating.  Broken Wing would even come up on the seat to get close to snag food others were too afraid to make a move on.  As the old saying goes, “Success favors the Brave!”  Broken Wing did not let his deficiency deter him/her.              

I started to think about this little bird and wondered how I would do if I was in Broken Wing’s position.  I then looked to relate this to what we are doing with the business.  So many times, it is scary to take chances as a business owner to go into the unknown.  You worry about all the things that could go wrong and how it can affect all the people around you.  It is a heavy weight that can sometimes make you feel that you are drowning.  It can really paralyze you.  Fear can become a “deficiency” or “disability” that sometimes cannot be overcome.  Broken Wing did not seem to be fazed by the unknown.  Rather, he/she seemed to embrace it.  Broken Wing did not let his disability get in the way of being a survivor.  Not just surviving but thriving. 

I think of the many times over the past 22 years where we wondered how we would get the strength and courage to keep moving forward when all the signs around seemed to be telling us to give up.  And then I think of Broken Wing and his journey.  I do believe that we have some of his traits in us.  I think of decisions that Tina and I have made over the years that have got us to where we are now.  Our business, because of these decisions, is at an inflection point.  Our IVRT business is starting to slowly grow from just a small seed a few years ago.  Our cell therapy delivery device technology and co-development opportunities are gaining traction.  We do not know the ending of our story (or Broken Wing’s for that matter), but we will continue to try to live by the same braveness, innovation and drive that Broken Wing displayed.  We hope that we can use this simple bird’s determination as an inspiration to not fear the unknown, but to embrace what is in front of you.

Tina and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of the brave men and women who tirelessly serve this country as we celebrate Veteran’s Day next week.  We would also like to wish our US readers a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.  We will catch back up next month for our last blog of 2025!

Matt