“barrel of bricks”
Long-term
care is one of those unexpected expenses everyone should plan for but few
people actually do.
Consider
this humorous accident report from someone who should have considered long-term
care sooner.
I am writing in
response to your request for additional information on my accident
report. In block number three of the accident reporting form I wrote,
“Trying to do the job alone,” as the cause of my accident. You said in
your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust the following details
will be sufficient.
I am a bricklayer
by trade. On the day of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a
new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had
about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by
hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which fortunately
was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor.
Securing the rope
at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the
bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground level and untied the rope,
holding tightly to it to ensure a slow decent of the 500 pounds of brick.
You will note in block eleven of the accident report that I weigh 135 pounds.
Due to my surprise
at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and
forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather
rapid rate up the side of the building.
In the vicinity of
the third floor I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured
skull and broken collarbone.
Slowing down
slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my
right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this
time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the
rope in spite of my pain.
At approximately
the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell
out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weighed approximately
50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block eleven. As you
might imagine, I began a rapid decent down the side of the building. In
the vicinity of the third floor I met the barrel coming up. This accounts
for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.
The encounter with
the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto a pile of
bricks and, fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked.
I
am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable
to stand, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me I again lost my
presence of mind. I let go of the rope.
Moral
of this tale: It doesn’t pay to try to do the job alone.
Maybe
you should take a serious look at long-term care now to prepare for the time
when you or your loved ones might need it. I can help you evaluate your
options and needs to avoid your “barrel of bricks.”
For additional information on the author: www.schwartzfinancial.com
