Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Risk & Business Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 7

Wear Sunscreen New Beginnings A BY: BERNIE COSENTINO, VICE PRESIDENT, JGS INSURANCE DEAR READERS: Do one thing every day that scares you. s I contemplated what I would like to share with you in this edition it struck me that it is two weeks away from the New Year 2018 and that my contribution to this publication would be read in the Spring 2018 edition of JGS Insurance Risk & Business Magazine and a decision was made to skip an insurance topic this go round. Sing. With the advent of spring and summer upon us, I reflected back to an essay I stumbled upon 20 years ago and re-visited recently that had affected me positively at both the age of 36 and 56 although in different ways. Spring is a time of new beginnings, not only seasonally, but personally whether it be graduations or nuptials or even the start of a new job for recent grads. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. To that end I surely hope that you enjoy the following essay “Wear Sunscreen” By Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune as she wrote it as a satirical commencement speech (1) . Get plenty of calcium. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97: Wear sunscreen. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. Enjoy your body. U se it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Hopefully Dear readers you too were able to take something away from this essay and if you have, do share with friends and loved ones and remember summer is coming so don’t forget the sunscreen. + If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind side you at 4 PM on some idle Tuesday. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. But trust me on the sunscreen. (1) Mary Schmich is an American journalist. She has been a columnist for the Chicago Tribune since 1992, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2012. Bernie Cosentino is celebrating his 34rd year in the insurance industry. Born, bred and educated in NJ he is a proud father to his adult children Joseph and Maria. Bernie is currently in his 17th year at JGS Insurance as A Vice President and broker/producer diligently pursuing the most competitive and comprehensive insurance program to a wide range of customer base. 7