Can you even believe we have to worry about an issue as ludicrous as scary clowns?
They’ve been in the media pretty heavily for the last few weeks. Idiots are dressing up in scary clown outfits and jumping out of bushes or hiding in school playgrounds. At least one incident involved someone being attacked by a clown with a knife.
I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes when I came across a headline online that read, ‘Top 10 Clown Attacks Caught on Video’. Even my daughter told me she was getting nervous going home in the dark after work — what if she encounters a clown on the way?
I don’t have all the answers about dealing with scary clowns, but the one thing that comes to mind is how similar this phenomenon is to any sort of emergency in life. No matter what we do to try to avoid scary clowns, they’re bound to crop up somewhere anyway.
‘I don’t have all the answers about dealing with scary clowns, but the one thing that came to mind is how similar this phenomenon is to any sort of emergency in life’
In the same way, you never know when flood, fire or other damage is going to happen. Life has a habit of throwing unexpected surprises our way. Expect these things to happen as a matter of course and be ready for them! Ultimately, whether it’s clowns or insurance companies, don’t let them scare you without scaring them right back!
My philosophy in life is that “things happen”. The clowns jumping out at you may be real or metaphorical, but you need to try and have fun anyway. Have a giggle and embrace lightheartedness, because you never know what’s right around the corner.
One of my clients unfortunately had to deal with two unexpected tragedies simultaneously in the past six months. Because of the summer storms we saw here, the ground floor of his very nice property was badly flooded. When I came out to visit, I saw the damage, but I also found out that my client’s wife was seriously ill at the time.
Sadly, she just passed away Friday. But her husband texted me to let me know when the funeral was, and he was really grateful I turned up to pay my respects. I realised, through this experience, just how big of an impact these relationships can have on everyone involved.
In this business, we’re not just there to guide a client through the technical and financial parts of an insurance claim. We truly care about the emotional side as well. It’s amazing that I made enough of a difference in my client’s life that he wanted me there at a funeral for friends and family only.
He called me this morning to thank me for attending. I did it because it was the right thing to do, and he’s a nice guy who I got to know in helping him handle his flood claim. It makes my life a little better knowing that I can connect with people and help them through difficult times in their lives. I encourage you to reach out to your clients, partners and colleagues as well. It might mean more to them than you know.
Best wishes,
Steve Lazarus
