My "Trooper Moment"

Saturday evening, my wife and I ran to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. No biggie, but we left the store in the dark around 8, and headed west to the intersection and a stop sign. About half a block from the four-way stop, a car appeared on the left, all black, except for those reflective markings designating it an Oklahoma Highway Patrol vehicle. It was at that point I reached for my seat belt and had my "Trooper Moment". Let me define what I mean. A "Trooper Moment" occurs when you're caught, plain and simple, but you weren't ready for it. In this case, he shows up out of nowhere. Immediately, you run through in your mind whether the tag and the car insurance is up to date, is everyone wearing a seat belt (I wasn't), or is there a tail light or brake light out. Is there anything I haven't done to be prepared for this moment. How many of your life events will be handled in "Trooper Moment" fashion? During that routine check-up, maybe you need surgery. The doctor calls back with test results that aren't always positive. Your spouse calls that someone ran into her in the parking lot. The IRS shows up at your door... The final one, of course, is the death of a spouse. How many times did you consider life insurance, but put it off? How many agents brought it up to you, but you always had coverage through your job? Hopefully, I won't have many more of these "Trooper Moments," but I know I will. It's inevitable. I just hope that you're prepared when you have to be. If not, give me a call, and lets talk about it.

Hopefully, not all dreams come true!

Thursday night, I had the most intensely vivid dream I've had for a long time; I dreamed that I was dying. Now, in my business, I deal with my client's mortality on a daily basis. We discuss it, plan for it, and look beyond it for anything unforeseen. We know it's going to happen, and addressing how we handle it is priority number one. I guess what really burned this into my brain, is that I was going to die like, three days later. I didn't have some serious disease, and I wasn't having premonitions of a building collapsing on me. I was just going to pass away. It was then that the funeral became an event, and I was inviting people I met and the friends I had. I was doing all the planning and the last-minute arrangements. I remember one of my friends, upon hearing the invitation, was very non-committal; "Okay, I'll see if I can make it." See if you can make it? This is my funeral, my death, for crying out loud! How is it not the biggest event of the year? I have to laugh. Our lives, successes, and failures make us who we are. Shouldn't our death be as big a deal? I really doubt that dwelling on the event of my death makes it any easier to digest, and that planning now, instead of three days before, will make all the difference in the world.