I always find the changes in the seasons at this time of the year to be simply breathtaking. This past Saturday, I was instructing a student in the early hours of the afternoon. The weather was a bit warmer than I had expected, and the sun was hitting the trees at all the right angles. The golds and reds and yellows and oranges shone bright against the blue sky as we travelled through Lyndhurst, Highland Heights, Mayfield Village, Gates Mills, Chesterland, and beyond.

One of the many things I love about what I do -- besides putting safe drivers on the road, of course -- is that it doesn't keep me behind a desk or inside nearly as much as my years in higher education did. Regardless of the time of the year (or the weather outside, for that matter!), I'm out in the community, enjoying the best and the most challenging of conditions that Cleveland has to offer. I remember so many days of years past where I would arrive at the office before the sun rose and leave the office just as the sun was about to set. As a Driving Instructor, I get to experience it all firsthand...which, at this time of the year, means a seriously on point flannel game, skid-resistant shoes, and an exceptional ability to adapt to what comes next.

Since COVID-19 first hit, we've all been called to be prepared in a similar way...perhaps not with the flannel or the skid-resistant shoes but definitely with the ability to adapt to what comes next, and we are right there with you. The conversations that we have had with our students and their families about the challenges they have faced and how they have continued with life have been both enlightening and encouraging. Even as the seasons change and the threat of a surge becomes very real, our students and their families are finding ways to move forward. Our students continue their dedication to further developing themselves by either attaining that license for the first time or by sharpening their skills, enabling a greater sense of independence and mobility, both of which are so necessary right now. As they do so, we are here to help in whatever ways we can.

With the rain over the past few days, those vibrant leaves have begun to hit the ground, revealing the bones of the trees that have kept them suspended from the early morning chills of an Ohio spring through our absolutely gorgeous (yet socially-distanced) summer and into a fall filled with feelings of both possibility and uncertainty. As you and your families continue to persevere through this challenging time, as you think about how to spend a season full of food, joy, and laughter with those you care about most, please know that we are here to serve you -- our community -- as resources in any way that we can.

At the risk of sounding cliché...we're all in this together. The seasons may change, but that never will.

Stay safe, friends. And remember...wipers on, lights on!
​-Rob

For many of us who grew up in the 90s, summer has always been this mythical season of wonder, adventure and discovery. Movies like The Sandlot, The Goonies, and Little Giants always provoked in me this sense of longing for the summer, a time to hang out with friends outside of the reach of teachers and parents, to explore and shake things up a bit while learning more about the world around me. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of my time during the summer away from home, camping in Pennsylvania's Pike County. The closest thing I had to modern technology was my GameBoy, and that only worked if we had recently gone into town for a fresh set of AA batteries. Otherwise, my family, my camping friends, and I made the most of the woods, the park, and the pool in this place where time seemed to stand still, if only for a little while.

You don't need me or anyone else telling you how different the summers I just described sound when compared to the summer that is about to see its conclusion. The actions that sparked protests across the country, COVID-19, and the approach to a contentious presidential election -- to name just a few things at the top of the minds of many Clevelanders -- have so many people on edge, struggling, demanding and working toward something better. And in all this, some of the certainty that we once relied on has vanished while the constant tug to continue with "normal life" -- school, work, activities -- remains in this time of challenge and change.

You might wonder what all of this has to do with Safe Pass.

As I reminded someone yesterday, our main concern is putting safe drivers on the road. We are the best driving school to do just that, but honestly...even if you go to another driving school and there is a way that we can support your success as a new driver (or as an experienced driver who needs some further skill development), we want to do just that, regardless of whether or not you ever spend a single moment in the car with us. More safe drivers on the road means that more people can tend to the "normal" parts of their lives more quickly and with fewer unnecessary challenges, hopefully making room for more time to tend to the issues that seem less than normal right now.

I'll always remember the summer of 2020 as one when so many became far less comfortable in the world around them, where the stability of life wavered far past what we ever could have expected or planned for, but also a as summer when true heroes rose to meet that instability with the strength and courage needed to affect change in real ways. As this summer when Safe Pass was born comes to a close, I'm continuing to hope that our mission and our goals help to make the lives of the people in our community just a bit better, a bit safer, and a bit more predictable. The time to keep pushing, though, extends well into autumn and beyond.

We'll be there pushing with you, every mile of the journey.

Stay safe, friends.
-Rob