It's Labor Day weekend, a time to reflect on the past summer and all you accomplished.
For us at Insurance For Texans, it is also a time to relax, take a break from the last few frenzied weeks, and enjoy the company of family and friends before running full tilt toward the fall and holiday seasons.
The thought of taking time to say a seasonal sayonara to the summer before September welcomes the autumn months evokes the lyrics of one of our favorite songs.
It also reminds us of why we love what we do here at Insurance For Texans.
The R.E.M song "Nightswimming" on their vaunted album, Automatic For The People, always takes us back to a time and place.
For some of you, it may remind you of the sound of cicadas on a hot Texas evening, fireflies in a Mason jar, or the smell of the river, lake, or chlorinated water in the air.
"Nightswimming" always brings us back to a time of innocence and nostalgia. The lyrics are simple, but they evoke such strong emotions.
It calls to mind the scene of swimming at night, not feeling the gravity of life, and having the vision of dangers around us obstructed by the dark.
The music, while somber in tone, is almost a lullaby, evoking a time of wonder and excitement that is almost childlike, free from life's complications and dangers.
If you remember swimming at night as a child, teen, or young collegiate, you may remember this feeling.
It reminds us of the way we would like life ought to be.
It also reminds us about the realities of life and how it is.
There is no escaping risk. It surrounds us every day.
And though the water and the dark may appear to protect, the risk continues.
Well, it's here actually, but we digress. It does usually still feel like August in September here in Texas as many of our new friends from the north who have moved here are finding out.
This lyric reminds us that although we may have some semblance of protection, challenges are coming.
In the song, summer is ending and a new season begins.
For some, it is a time of excitement as the kids go back to school and they get back into a routine.
But for all of us, it is a time of change.
And change always brings with it some level of risk.
Your teenager now has their license.
These are big changes that require adult decisions.
Our reckless days are replaced by the responsibilities we have every day to adult through the changes we see in the lives of our family and ourselves.
Good thing we don't have to go it alone.
Here on Labor Day, where you most likely will encounter dear family and friends, let it serve as a reminder that you never walk alone.
And as an independent insurance agency, we make it our business to come alongside you to make sure you know you have help when it comes to covering you, yours, and all you have built along the way.
We serve to help you manage the risk life brings and protect what's important to you.
Side by side, we'll partner with you to make sure you have what you need.
So, if you are sitting out by the pool later this evening, give the song a listen.
You may just have to go for a swim.
Happy Labor Day!
Ron Wadley is an owner and General Solver of Problems for Insurance For Texans. Ron is a resident of North-East Tarrant County in the Dallas-Ft Worth area. He loves riding his many bikes and watching his Baylor Bears play football and basketball. Send him your insurance questions at ron@insurancefortexans.com.