Tag Archives: insurance

The Road to Diamond, Day 257: Firecracker

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, Education, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

August 12, 2025- The self-described guest took charge of the meeting, almost from the start. Offering to take notes, she kept meticulous order and did not let anyone stay off track for more than a few seconds. I sat across from her, and can attest that the notes were copious. Hard of hearing, she also insisted that some comments be repeated, and more slowly. In short, she brought some of our membership back to a reality that had been shoved to the back burner, in our perception of urgency, and in at least one case, doom scrolling.

Our group is facing a few unpleasant realities- first, the skyrocketing cost of insurance and second, the ticking clock that spares no one. That makes the “firecracker” octogenarian, with no outward sense of either gloom or doom, such a refreshing harbinger of what the next decade might be, at least for yours truly. Physical and mental exercise, combined with proper nutrition, seem to keep her in a rather solid position. I resolved to follow the same path, much of which is already in place.

Another aspect of today’s meeting is that we were able to arrive at consensus, as to our next steps regarding the future of the enterprise with which we are concerned. We will need to exercise discernment, in dealing with someone who has made several promises and who may have given us erroneous information. We will need to show discretion and prudence, in the matter of how best to arrange for the rental of heavy equipment and in the renovation of one of our buildings. We will, above all, have to remember the wishes of the founder of the institution with which our group, both official committee members and on-site workers, are charged to preserve.

The Divine has sent us a firecracker. That tells me that there are some solid plans for this rustic property. We need not doom scroll any further.

The Road to Diamond, Day 29: On Wanting More

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Posted by on in Assistance, collaborating, Community, distraction issues, impediments, Personal Values, Social, Spiritual, Striving

December 27, 2024- The famous scene, in “Oliver Twist”, where Oliver asks for an extra portion of food and is ridiculed by the overstuffed overseers at the orphanage, has frequently been quoted by both those who regard themselves as gatekeepers against greed and those who see society as a place where the needs of all should be met.

I see the requests for more time, more money, more personal attention as reflective of two things: Lack of transparency and lack of preparation. Communication, between businesses and insurers, is often incomplete-and as a result, the consumer is asked to pay what, at first blush, is an “add-on”. It isn’t, but what has happened is that there is rather rushed, or lackadaisical, dealing with the responsibility for meeting the total cost-of health care, automobile repair or replacement of lost or stolen household items.

Either the insurer’s representatives do not give the matter the time it takes to examine costs/reimbursements or the provider does not offer complete information, and has to backtrack, before sending out an invoice to the consumer, with little information other than-“You owe this extra amount.” Before payment is made, though, the consumer is bound to ask for further explanation. No one wants to look upon their health care provider(s) as greedy or as grifters.

Another area in which there is frequently a disconnect is in the scheduling of time. I have had people ask me for “30 minutes” or “an hour” of my time. If it is just between the two or three of us, that is usually kept on track. If there are more people involved, I prefer to request that the time frame be open-ended, or extended. The reason is simple: Afterthoughts, questions and answers, pregnant pauses followed by further expounding all come into play, and it is often unfair to the person(s) raising these, to insist on a cut-off, exactly at the broadcast end point.

This last came into focus this afternoon, when a simple reading of two paragraphs into a cellular microphone, in a sound-proof room, took nearly an hour-instead of the fifteen minutes that had been anticipated. The production manager simply wanted as close to perfection as possible-a reasonable request, common in the world of audiovisual activities. Fortunately, the reader was patient, as was I, the monitor. The producer was satisfied after three readings of each paragraph-and I got in my afternoon nap, at the production site.

My whole point is this: In planning an effort, take some time to consider potential “unforeseen” scenarios. Having contingency plans for time, energy and other resources will go a long way towards avoiding misconceptions, as to the motivations of those asking for more.

The Fallacy of Coercion

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Posted by on in children, collaborating, Community, Education, Family, impediments, Inner Struggles, Inspiration, Matters of Faith, Personal Values, Service Activities, Social, Spiritual, Striving

March 25, 2023- Once, after Penny’s funeral, when I found a modest, but pliable, insurance deposit in my checking account, I got a call from someone who used the fact, that I had only myself to support, as a springboard to ask that I help fund a surgery that was needed. In those days of some confusion and recovery that accompanied the grieving process, I did not project ahead to the expenses of the ensuing four months before the final life insurance settlement would find its way to me. It felt like it was my bounden duty to help this individual, who had little. The choice was made to proffer a substantial amount in that direction. Fast forward three months, and I received a proposal from my handyman to renovate the house. Without giving it the proper amount of thought, I initially agreed to his offer, only to do the math afterward-and to end up cancelling the project, thus burdening him with returning the materials-and burdening myself with the loss of a friend.

I have come to the realization, these many years later, that there really was no coercion from anyone. I made both decisions, conflicting as they were, out of a desire to make someone else happy. To what extent the first person achieved happiness is a matter of opinion. I have not been willing or able to continue to dole out money in that direction. It goes without saying, that the second person is just as glad if he never sees me again.

In life, there are relatively few matters that are imperative. A parent must do the best to raise any child, who is birthed or adopted, to adulthood. A pet owner must see to the animal’s well-being. A citizen must contribute to the support of community, state and nation-both financially and civically. A worker must do the best to fulfill the basic requirements of a job. Communities must provide for the education of their young and for the basic care of disabled and elderly residents.

All else, however, is a matter of choice. In the 1970s, the comedian Flip Wilson had a routine, on his television program, in which he played a character whose retort to being chastised was “The devil made me do it.” We Baha’is know the “devil” to be the ego of a person, when it entices one to overindulge base instincts or desires, acting against the better nature. It was anthropomorphized long ago, in the days of Babylon-and has had a physical image ever since. This has the effect of allowing a person to deflect any blame for actions-which was exactly Wilson’s point. That such self-indulgence can generate negative energy, which can and does harm self and others, does not change the essence of its nature.

There is much that I take on, both paid and volunteer work. In each case, I have come to the understanding with myself that my choices are made strictly in consulting with my conscience, and not because of any pressure from outside. Guilting, whining or yelling and screaming have only made me turn away from the supplicant. There is no such real thing as coercion, when you give the matter some thought.

The Road to 65, Mile 132: Nissan Altima

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Posted by on in Personal goals

April 9, 2015, Prescott-  I purchased my 2005 replacement vehicle this morning.  After a ten-mile test drive revealed the Nissan Altima to be everything I had been told about it, I completed the relatively short purchasing ritual, drove it home and got the insurance in order. I also arranged renter’s insurance, for good measure. Life is returning to normal.

I am midway through my Traffic Safety Systems online course.  Hopefully, the 3/4 point will be reached tomorrow afternoon, and the course will be finished by next Wednesday, leaving me to schedule the proctored final examination, pass it, and so inform the Justice of the Peace.

April still saw a slight loss of income; the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska await, in summer;  the real push for financial recovery will begin in August, and I will have until November, 2016, before another non-family-related journey looms.  The Nissan will help me through the bulk of it.

Inside myself, that’s where the growth is happening.  I reflect that so many mental and spiritual toxins are being removed, have been shed, since 2011. I am far more cognizant of where I need to proceed. Last year, an apologist for the Santa Barbara shooter accused me, in rather vile terms, of being one of the underlying causes of the misogynist’s actions.  I had to give even his baseless invective a measure of consideration.  None of us are crystal-pure.  Yet,  I have to say that my desire for the women in my life is to see them, first and foremost, realize THEIR dreams and map out THEIR futures. This was where I arrived, after five or six years of marriage- and it is here that I comfortably remain.

The accident, my only one in 48 years of driving, has proven a fulcrum for moving forward with growing spiritually all the more intensely.  That, and I have re-learned several salient points, about driving and about life, that were imparted to me, all those years ago, by Coach Len Wall.  Saturday evening, I had no “out”.  Now, I have several.