Lightning Strikes

A note from Colin Peterson: After his house was hit by lightning, my colleague Tim Nelsen felt inspired to write a guest blog. This isn't the only unusual behavior he has been exhibiting since the incident...

So our house was struck by lightning last weekend. I was mostly assured that the worst our small suburban home would have to weather this spring was a large influx of kids selling magazine subscriptions. Turns out it was lightning, and magazine kids, but mostly lightning.

It made me realize something though. While the damage I faced was minimal and mostly covered by the homeowners insurance, I was still amazed at how fast things could change. It’s very easy to go through life and just assume that everything will be ok, but when it’s not, it’s good to have someone to turn to.

Without my insurance, I would have faced several thousand dollars worth of repairs and some tough financial decisions. Luckily, I was able to work through my insurance agent (thanks Mike) and get everything back on track, hot water running, stove repaired and peace of mind restored in my home.

In a weird way my relationship with my insurance agent is a lot like the community’s relationship with United Way. We make our contributions and then when somebody is in need, services are available to assist. True, replacing my water heater is not equal to feeding a family, but without my insurance I would have been worse off. Just as without the community contributions to United Way, the families in need would be facing much greater struggles.

You can’t always tell when things are going to change, but we can make sure that we are always prepared. I pay my insurance company because I believe in the protection they offer. I give to United Way because I believe in our community and want the best for all.