"Built to Move" with Dr. Voyles: Coming Home to Indiana (Part 2)

Selling insurance with Humana was a job full of surprises. I was a 22-year-old bright eyed and bushy tailed new graduate ready to take on the world with this new job and new field.

The company gave me a work cell phone that would send me a name of a person who called in and was interested in discussing insurance along with their home address. 

I would wake up in the morning and see just a name and an address. I would take the address, punch it into my GPS, say a prayer, and head out to see what my day consisted of.

As you can imagine, not every 65 plus person lives the same. 

Some homes that I came to were immaculately kept. Filled with stories of a person who had an entire life well lived. Pictures of their family on the wall and a yard that did not have one blade of grass out of order. 

Some had amazing gardens filled with tomatoes, peppers, and all kinds of amazing treasures. Some homes highlighted the products of their “retirement hobby”. Beautiful displays of woodworking, big collections of ceramic angels, quilts and clothes masterfully sewn, and even some with restored classic rides.

But not all were amazing.

Some homes were filled with medical equipment. Oxygen tanks to keep them alive. Canes and walkers to keep them mobile. Some had a quantity of daily pills that looked like they wanted to start a pharmacy themselves.

Some didn’t have houses but lived in nursing homes. When it comes to nursing homes, the people in charge make a big difference. I went to some nursing homes that I might even want to stay in!

I can remember specifically going to a nursing home in Indianapolis that was celebrating national margarita day. Suprisingly, I did not have to check anyone’s ID to see if they were legal.

I gave an 89-year-old woman her first margarita EVER. She really enjoyed it. I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as I did getting to watch her first sip reaction.

But just like the homes, not all of the nursing home living situations were amazing either.

I talked to one lady who told me, “Besides other salesman, you are the only person I get to talk to today because my family doesn’t reach out anymore.”

My heart wept for her and people like that in that situation.

The more that I heard about their stories, their hobbies, their families, their feelings, I noticed that I focused much less on their insurance coverage. 

I wanted to know what I could do to help make their lives better. Sure, insurance can help you financially when something bad happens, but it doesn’t make you live more fully.

I knew there was a way to make more of an impact. Then I met a chiropractor in my church.

Stay tuned next week for Part 3!