By Rex Alphin

He awoke wondering what the day would bring.

Climbing out of bed, he trod under a smoke alarm, past the carbon monoxide detector toward the bathroom. Dressing, he noticed with assurance the flexible fire alarm escape ladder rolled up in the corner, close enough that he might utilize it, should the occasion arise.

Walking past his dryer with extended warranty, as he prepared to leave the house he enabled the alarm system, which covered every possible entrance into his dwelling and which would alert authorities immediately of any activity. He locked the front door and then locked the deadbolt.

Strolling over to his car, he hit the “unlock” button on his key chain and slid in behind the wheel. As he shifted into drive, the doors automatically locked again, and the seatbelt warning buzzer sounded. He hooked his seatbelt and glanced over at the airbags, confident that, if a collision did occur, he would be protected. He had also installed a GPS device on his car so that it could be located in case of a theft.

Riding to work, he mentally revisited his car insurance protection. $200,000 for collision. $500,000 for liability. Was that enough? He wanted to be sure, just in case. The deductible was low enough that he could take a one-time hit. But what if it happened again?

Hmmmm, he thought. Perhaps he needed to bump his savings up a notch, just in case.

Which reminded him: Did he have everything he needed in his safety deposit box at the bank? At least he knew his valuables would be protected if his house were destroyed. He was also comforted by the fact that his mortgage was covered if — heaven forbid! — something should happen to him.

But he was a little unsettled at his overall life insurance policy. Was it enough? Perhaps he would take another look at it. Not to mention his long-term health coverage. With health care costs rising every day…. Anyway, he would visit that again.

Which reminded him: Did he need to update his will? It had been a few years. Perhaps he should. “It will make you sleep better at night to know everything is covered,” he kept telling himself.

That night, he pulled back the covers and nestled between the sheets, looking forward to a restful night. His eyes closed and then popped back open. Had he changed the batteries in the smoke alarm? He got up to check. Just in case.

Rex Alphin of Walters is a farmer, businessman, author, county supervisor and contributing columnist for the Suffolk News-Herald. His email address is rexalphin@aol.com.