I was driving home from Traverse City earlier this week, following the conclusion of the Michigan Bankers Association Bank Education Summit and Trade (BEST) show. As I drove US 31 south from the Grand Traverse Resort, I got a chance to view both East Bay and West Bay and it made me smile.

It also made me a little sad because it’s tough leaving such a beautiful area of the state. There are times when I can look at the water, watching the wind and the waves and I just feel peaceful. Sometimes looking at the water helps me to feel less loss in this world.

And it just so happened as I looked at the water, Ben Folds Five’s “Jane” came on the iPod. There’s are a couple of lines in the song that always hit home for various reasons.

“Jane be jane
you’re better that way
not when you’re trying
imitating something you think you saw …

… you’re worried there might not be
anything at all inside
but that you’re worried
should tell you that’s not right
don’t try to see yourself
the way that others do
it’s no use …

But it’s your life
and you can decorate it
as you like
beneath the paint and armour
in your eyes the truth still shines

So, here’s to those of us who, despite our outward appearances, still struggle trying to figure out how to live our lives.