Don't forget your spare tire

Of the many conversations I had with my Dad, one that I will always remember is this: When he's with me and I refill the air on my car's tires, he would ask: "Ok ba ang reserbang mong gulong?" (Is your spare tire good?).

At first, I always ignored his question and just say "ok na po" (It's ok, sir) since I felt it a hassle to open the trunk and pump air into a tire which I might not even use in a year or two.

So, I didn't take his concern seriously.

Until one day...

...when on my way to Quezon City for a client meeting, one of my rear tires got flat. If you're a driver you would easily sense it due to a change in the car's balance. Thank God, I was able to reach a gasoline station and park.

A disappointment

I know the drill: open the trunk, get the jack and the lug wrench, and then take out the spare tire.

To my disappointment, my spare tire was also flat, and therefore, useless!

If you've experienced this already, you know what I felt that day. And, yes, I should have taken my dad's advice seriously. So, I had to take both tires to the nearest vulcanizing shop. [Oh, by the way, I had to reschedule the meeting because of this]. I was disappointed not with the spare tire but with myself since I could have prevented this from happening.

A car needs five tires. Four are attached. One is a spare, which we seldom use. But does it mean the spare is less important than the other four?

A safety net

Life insurance also works like a spare tire. You won't use it often. You only use it once. But you should never ignore it. It is a person's safety net for unwanted yet unexpected events especially death. What if, just what if, you're suddenly taken away with no life insurance coverage? What will happen to your family? Your young kids? Your spouse? Or your business?

Many families end up poor and in debt because the breadwinner does have life insurance coverage.

"The error of ignoring a spare tire can be avoided in the future. But you can never fix the error of ignoring the importance of a life insurance policy when the unexpected and unwanted happens."

You can't turn back time and make amends when you're no longer insurable or if you're already dead. Of course, it's difficult to discipline yourself, to cut costs, and commit to a specific paying period. But it's more difficult to let your family suffer, especially when you could have done your part to prepare as early as now.

Please, don't forget your spare tire.