Falling for...Autumn

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