I Can Sleep When The Wind Blows

Apr 08, 2020

I Can Sleep When The Wind Blows

Years ago, a farmer, whose fields stretched along the eastern seaboard, was looking for hired hands. It wasn’t easy to find help. People were reluctant to work on the Atlantic coast as they dreaded the regular raging storms that wreaked havoc on buildings and crops.

Interviewing applicants for the job, the farmer received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached him. “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the desperate farmer hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, keeping himself busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer was satisfied with his new hire. Then, late one night, the Atlantic wind began howling in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man, yelling, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No, sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged, the farmer was tempted to fire the little man on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens in their coops, the doors barred, the shutters tightly secured. Everything was tied down; nothing would blow away. The farmer returned to his bed, and the sound of the storm’s wind lulled him to sleep.

Like the farmhand, my job is not to wait until the storm hits to scramble into action, but rather take the necessary action while the skies are clear to make sure nothing ‘blows away’ when the wind starts to howl—and, sooner or later, the wind always howls.

We’ve been blessed these past few years with relatively ‘clear skies’ and only occasional ‘thunder storms’—and your business has reflected this. Your most recent statements will present a different picture, and that’s okay. Whether you are prospering in this pandemic or hoping to make it through, the fact that none of us know the future is what scares us the most. Please make decisions after careful consideration. Request feedback from your trusted advisor(s) and friends. Be available to others less fortunate.

Stay positive and know I’m here for you! Don’t hesitate to call, text, or email if there is something you need.