Cruel reminders of getting older

Hey,

One of the more disturbing things about being in your mid-30s - besides the fact that I keep spraining my freaking ankle playing basketball each week - is that companies begin to take advantage of the idea that you "need to prepare for the future." One example is the at least- twice monthly offers for additional life insurance.

I just received an offer - for the third time - from my Iowa-based insurer for "AD& D" protection. ( I guess my company figures that I'll be more likely to sign on as I get older.) The acronym stands for Accident Death and Dimemberment. What an uplifting thought!

For $19 a year - which I suppose is a bargain, when you think about it - my life is protected if I happen to die while riding as a passenger on public transportation (which I rarely take because there aren't a lot of places public transportation can take you in Connecticut, at least not from my town.) My insurance company uses the statistic by the National Safety Council that "accidents are the leading cause of death" in people under 39.

Now I am supposed to be scared.

The insurance policy will pay my "loved ones" $130,000 in the event of such a tragedy on public transportation.

These days, that will help my family get through one year, maybe a year and a half.

Perhaps my insurance company could have analyzed where I live (pretty rural place) and how long it takes me to get to work (10 minutes if I can do 80 in the left lane of Route 2; about 12 minutes if someone in a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice is in front of me). If I were a commuter living near the Metro-North railroad along the coastline, perhaps this would be of some benefit.

I will likely not opt for the AD&D policy. It doesn't seem to be worth it. But insurance is a subject that we 30-somethings have to suddenly consider, unfortunately. You pass through your 20s still thinking you're invincible in many ways, and that line of thinking carries over into your 30s. By that time, though, you have a mortgage, possibly kids, possibly pets, car loans, and credit cards that you're responsible for.

Time to "prepare for the future." Which you need to do. But life insurance, like creating a living will, is not a happy endeavor. It's a responsible endeavor, but not a happy one.

In the meantime, I plan to call the Prudential Insurance Company of America and tell them to stop sending me the AD&D enrollment form. And I'll plan on avoiding public transportation.