Colleagues:
One of my old rugby team mates recently sent me the below picture taken in 1988. Almost all of the 20 players and 1 coach pictured, including me
(
Back row 6 from left)
,
were in our early twenties when this picture was taken. One player - nicknamed “Gramps” - was in his 40s and the rest of us thought he was ancient! All of us twentysomething year olds of course thought we were invincible and immortal. We were young, fit, tough rugby players – nothing could possible happen to us, right? Well, as we all know, Life Happens. So far as I know, at least two of the twentysomething year olds have passed away already. The first to go, a PhD level biotechnology research scientist, was not only a great rugby player, he was also a high school state wrestling champion and a nationally ranked collegiate racket ball player. He severed his spine in a skiing accident when he was about 30, becoming a quadriplegic, and died due to complications of his injuries about two years later. The second, another PhD (we were way smarter than the average rugby team!), became a professor at the University of Michigan. He was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple of years ago and died last December at age 52, leaving a wife and two daughters in college. I’m not sure if Gramps is still around but if he is he’d be in his 70s now, and I am sure he would be surprised to learn that he outlived two of his much younger team mates from 30 years ago!
As you know, September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. As life insurance professionals, it is imperative that we make sure all of our family, friends, clients, and prospects are 100% aware of the importance of life insurance. Many prospects, especially younger ones, say “I don’t need life or disability insurance because that would never happen to me”. It is our job to convince them that it can, and may well will, happen to them. Premature death has taken 10% of the “immortals” in the picture already.
I am sure many of you have similar stories to tell. Let’s make extra effort this month to get out there and tell those stories and make everyone we know aware of the importance of protecting their loved ones.
I hope all y’all have a great holiday weekend!
Best, M.
Martin Gore, PhD, CLU, ChSNC
Life Brokerage Manager
Guardian
P: 619.213.4034
F: 214.723.5690
