Iron Man Didn't Save Leslie Bibb But Another Superhero Did

Floods. Hurricanes. Power failures. Disease. Financial meltdowns. Drought. Y2K. Famine.  Global warming. Killer bees. Toxins. Avalanches.

What do we learn from devastation? Sometimes, we can take simple, quick, cheap precautions like washing our hands and covering our mouths when we sneeze. Other reactions are very expensive, such as the gigantic costs in time, money and anxiety from the escalated security following 9/11. Since memories fade, the precautions only be temporary.

This post isn't meant to scare you about possible future horrors. Why complete with the news or movies?
We have trouble associating with big numbers but we connect with individuals. We like stories and listen to celebrities. Let's scale down to one family.

Leslie Bibb's Tragedy

Leslie played reporter Christine Everhart in Iron Man 1 and 2 but Tony Stark didn't avert a tragedy in her personal life. Neither did Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Hancock, Defendor or Dr. Manhattan.

Her dad was the superhero.

He died in an accident when she was only three but had enough life insurance to keep her family going. She's got three older sisters and a mother.

We would have been sunk if it weren’t for your father’s life insurance.
— Leslie's mom

Leslie didn't realize the role this silent protector played. That's the magic of life insurance. You barely notice the premiums but you get immense peace of mind. Should you die, your family gets the financial resources to survive. The tax-free proceeds can payoff the mortgage, provide ongoing living expenses and fund higher education.

We would have had to sell our home. My mom would have been forced to work longer hours or get a second job. But none of that happened because of my dad’s thoughtfulness. — Leslie

Leslie is the spokesperson for the nonprofit LIFE Foundation and tells her touching — but hardly unique — story herself.


I can't embed this video, so you'll need to click to view.

Your Options

Some people think it's morbid to anticipate the worst. Well, sometimes the worst happens and thankfully for my family, my father had planned ahead. 

I doubt people will buy life insurance just because I said so, but maybe it will remind them to follow through on something that has been on their to-do list for awhile. 

— Leslie

We can't predict the future but we can protect ourselves and those we care about. This takes time and money. So does inaction.

Links

1. Leslie Bibb's real life story (video on lifehappens.org)
2. Leslie Bibb on IMDb and Wikipedia
3. Leslie Bibb to serve as national spokesperson for Life Insurance Awareness Month (earthtimes.org)
4. One way September 11th changed me (Chris Brogan)
5. The fine print taketh away … except in life insurance
6. Lease or buy? How life insurance compares with getting a car
7. What happens when you call 911 for a medical emergency?
8. Three steps to keeping financially solvent
9. Three keys to getting your insurance claim paid
10. Why insurers won't insure you
11. How Lamar Odom's mom saved his life (new)
12. How 'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro made bitter batter better at 17 (new)
13. At age 7, Boomer Esiason learned no one is guaranteed a tomorrow (new)

Podcast Episode 83 (3:55)

direct download | Internet Archive page

PS This is Life Insurance Awareness Month. Do you have your own story?