CHIPO MLAMBO – Date with death
By CHIPO MLAMBO
Published on: 1st July, 2009
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TORONTO – CANADA – Like most people in the world, I was stunned and heartbroken by Michael Jackson’s sudden death. He was just one of those people who you felt you “knew” and I have to say I shed a few tears for him.
It may seem inconceivable that I may cry for a celebrity, but this would be the fourth time this has happened.
There was the death of Princess Diana, RnB singer Aaliyah, Rapper Left Eye and the man I almost certainly thought would come to Goromonzi High and propose marriage to me, the late great Tupac Shakur (Although like some die hard fans I’m still holding on to hope that he is still alive and this is all a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt and one day he will re-surface and come find me).
The weird thing about death is that one never quite puts it in their minds that it could be them even though dying is the only thing that is guaranteed in life.
Even those of us who have had death visit our households more often than most; seem to lapse back into denial mode after the coffin of our beloved is six feet under.
Just three weeks ago, my aunt, passed away and went to join her 3 sisters who preceded her, my mom being one of them, her brother and her 2 parents.
My opinion of celebrity deaths is that it not always so much the fact that they have died, but to us “common folk”, it is shocking because they seem invincible some what.
Celebrities and rich people in general just seem to have such a cushy life and from the outside it just seems like their lives could never be marred by anything bad or tragic.
When someone who we perceive to be significantly” better” than us has something unfortunate befall them, it’s sick to admit, but a small part of us feels comforted somewhat. The whole notion that if it can happen to so and so, then what about poor little me?
With death, it also shocks us back into reality and makes us take note once again of our own mortality. I mean, I’ve lost a mother, but right now every time I think Michael Jackson is gone it’s unbelievable.
I keep asking “Really?” almost as if death is understandable on some level for some people not icons like MJ. He was such a force to be reckoned with, larger than life personality, but death has reduced him. He has gone back to being dust. Nothing but!
After the terrorist attacks of September 11th in New York, people rushed out and expressed their feelings to loved ones, got married, had babies or made amends with those they were in conflict with because everyone was jolted back into realizing that life is fleeting.
You are here today, gone tomorrow. A lesson was gleaned from that. Death is assured to everyone so shouldn’t we be ready? What lesson can we get from this?
Most of the people who respond to my column are based abroad and I know that they are but a fraction of the people that actually read this column. I hate to sound morbid, but I would hope that we all have life insurance policies.
It doesn’t even have to be a big policy but enough to cover final arrangements and make sure that if your wishes are to be buried back in Zimbabwe, it is made possible.
I know quite a number of my own friends who don’t have life insurance despite my constant badgering and one of them recently confessed that she saw getting life insurance as “jinxing” herself or almost wishing herself six feet under. Just from talking to other people, I know that she is not the only one who shares that sentiment.
For most people the idea of death is scary, and I’ll be the first to admit that the idea of dying scares me too.
However, the thing that propelled me to face my fears and get life insurance was the thought of my parents and my siblings hearing of my death and on top of that being told there was no money to take me back to Zimbabwe.
Someone said to me home is where you pay your taxes and I do realize that some people do wish to be buried in their adopted countries.
If you are like me though, and your wish is to be sent back home, isn’t having life insurance the ultimate gift of love? Think of the pain your loved ones will be in and then compound that with the fact that they hear there is no money to bring you home.
I would hope that on some level I convince a few people to make that declaration of love and get life insurance. It would also be remise of me if I didn’t also caution you.
I used to work for a life insurance company years ago and many a times I was the bearer of bad news to clients who would call wanting to make a claim on a deceased loved one.
Most people had what is called a term life insurance policy. To put it simply, if you had a term life policy 45- It meant if you lived past 45 years and you died on your 46th birthday you were not covered!
By your 45th birthday, if your policy had the provision, you could port it to a whole life policy but if it didn’t, it meant even if you had paid your policy on time for 30 years but you didn’t die by age 45 then it was your loss.
Another one is the accidental death and dismemberment policy. It is widely offered but I also want to caution on it. It only pays out if you die by accident or you get dismembered. So dying from food poisoning e.g. would not be covered.
You need to make sure it’s whole life, meaning regardless of how you die for the most part, your loved ones can make a successful claim. I do not presume to be an authority on life insurance policies and I would recommend getting a licensed agent to help you and please read the small print. Make sure you understand what you are signing.
I realize that this week’s column is a bit morbid but I figured the whole world is talking about MJ’s death so we may as well take this chance when senses are heightened about death and try empower ourselves.
If like me, you’ve recently lost someone close to you, I plead the blood of Jesus on your soul and I pray for the spirit of comfort to take over. May God’s love see you through your pain.
RIP Maiguru Mirriam Sibanda, RIP Sam “Mudhumeni” Senderayi, RIP Michael Jackson
Be Blessed
what a nice pic.why did you put your pic while talking about michel jackson or someone else.i have been reading papers about jacko they where putting his pic not theres.