Incapacitated

Those who know me know that I truly believe that good things come out of bad situations. On the other hand, bad situations are still bad situations and they must be dealt with and more importantly experienced. There is often as much or more to learn from bad situations as from good ones. Recently, Ken and I met with our estate attorney to begin the process of how our finances will be managed while I am in prison. I knew that I would have to sign a power of attorney giving Ken full control over our finances while I am away. What I was not prepared for was the term our attorney used for my upcoming status – “incapacitated.” For some reason that word was like a blow to the stomach. I wanted to say, “but I am not entering into a persistent vegetative state!” In a sense, I feel like I am embarking down the road of being a “non-person.” I anticipate that I will be losing a lot of rights that I take for granted over the next few years and that much of this – whether intended or not – will make me feel less than human. A similar example occurred several months ago. I had informed my financial advisor at Schwab of my legal issues. A month later I received a letter from Schwab stating that they were closing all of my accounts, including my IRA (and all of Ken’s accounts as well). I am prepared for a series of these indignities and, although I will experience and learn from each of them, I will not let them affect my core and who I really am.

David Applegate