It can all change in a moment

Today I spoke with my friend and client John (not his real name) in Wexford. John is 40, married and has 2 young daughters. I have known him 15 years during which time his career has had its ups and downs, he has had problems with his mortgage payments and  debt but right now he’s on the way back up. He started a new business 6 months ago and it’s starting to blossom. Perhaps nobody’s life is perfect, but his is pretty good.

John had a near death experience yesterday. In a moment everything changed.

Driving to Cork for a business meeting at 5km over the speed limit (sound familiar?) he suddenly lost control of the car. A greasy road after the warm spell or perhaps oil, who knows? The car careered towards the ditch as John wrestled frantically with the controls. For a moment he had it but then lost it again. The car spun violently, then slid over the road into the path of an oncoming truck. “Game over”, he thought, as he was flooded with images of his daughters growing up without him.

The driver of the truck did his best to avoid hitting John but it all happened just too fast. David and Goliath collided head on. The car was propelled violently backwards and was killed by the impact in a crescendo of screaming tearing metal followed by complete silence. The truck was overturned off the side of the road and the car behind John was driven into a wall to avoid the main players. The world stopped and the air was full of fuel and burnt rubber. And then came the miracle.

All three drivers walked away from their cars without any obvious injury among them. As a precaution John was taken away by ambulance and then it really hit home. How would my family have coped without me? Within minutes he was starting to come back to himself and with a wry inner smile he remembered the life assurance policies I had “sold” him. Today on the phone he said he now knows what my business is really about – Looking after families.  

The Loan Arranger

www.GoodFinancialHousekeeping.com

www.LucasMortgage.ie