Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, November 6, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 6, 2021 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

MY BODY, MY SWAT 

Usually, I am not easily offended, nor do I easily lose my temper. I did lose my temper when I was six 
years old but have not been able to find it since. Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage is trying to find it 
but so far, she has not found it. 

Many people are ticked off by some minor little thing it really does not amount to much. 

For example, driving through a fast-food drive-in, you will realize what getting ticked off is all about. 
The customer in front of me is so impatient, and the customer behind me is just as impatient. They want 
everything on their schedule. Sitting in the middle, I just relax because there is no way I can speed up 
the line so why try. Very few things offend me, and I have found it to be a very good practice. 

Don’t let this out, but the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage can get ticked off very quickly, particularly 
with bugs, lizards, and stuff like that, not to mention snakes. For some reason, she doesn’t like snakes, 
and when she sees one, even if it’s on TV, she responds in a very negative fashion. 

Once when we were on vacation and stayed in a motel, a frog was under her pillow. I have lived that 
nightmare quite a few times. I didn’t know my wife could dance and sing at the same time. I didn’t recognize 
the song, but I enjoyed her rendition of it. Not being easily ticked off, I enjoy when other people 
are ticked off, particularly by little things they have no control over. Then the story backfired on me! 

It was the season of the “Love Bugs” that happens every year. I always forget that it’s coming, but it 
comes every year. This past year seems to have been my worst experience. It was love bugs, mosquitoes, 
and flies. I suppose they have a purpose in this world, but I have yet to discover what that purpose is. 
Their purpose is not well suited to me personally. 

When morning came, I went outside to get into my vehicle to go to the church office; as soon as I 
stepped outside, a bunch of love bugs hit me. I don’t know what they see in me that they love so much, 
I wish they would drop it. I’m thinking of seeking a divorce. 

Walking towards my vehicle, I was swatting left and right, up and down and every swat hit some kind of 
bug. I must confess that they were starting to bug me. No matter where I went that day, there was some 
kind of bug following me and trying to snuggle up with me. Why do they have to be so loving? 

All day long, I was swatting these bugs. The more I swatted, the more they seemed to come in my 
direction. 
I was in Publix, and as I was walking down an aisle, a mosquito landed on my nose, and without thinking, 
I swatted it as hard as I could. Yeah, the mosquito was dead. Yeah, my nose was bleeding. 

I heard several snickers behind me, and I was afraid to turn around. I got my hanky out and wiped my 
nose as good as I could. When I got to the counter to pay for my product, the cashier looked at me and 
smiled very heartily. I just stared back at him with a grimace that I hadn’t used for a long time. I said to 
him very snarly, “It’s my body, my swat.” 

I suppose I never learned a lesson, but I swatted my nose and my cheek and my chin several times that 
week. I guess it’s just a habit. Once a fly flew into my mouth, and believe me, it was no Apple Fritter. I 
still have that nasty taste in my mouth. 

Several days later, I was in Publix again, and the bugs were still in operational mode. Everywhere I went, 
there was some bug. I swatted myself several times, and fortunately, there was no blood. But I did get a 
few bugs that will not be bugging me ever again. 

Walking around the store, I tried avoiding the bugs as much as possible. When finished, I went to the 
cashier to pay for my products. As I was standing there, all of a sudden, somebody slapped me on the 
back. 
I turned around, looked, and a guy said, “I did you a favor. There was a bug crawling up your back, and 
I killed it for you.” Looking at him, I said, “My body, my swat.” 

Very soberly, I apologized, and I just laughed and said, “That’s okay. That’s one down and a zillion more 
to go.”
We both laughed a little, and I checked out and went to my car. 

As I was driving home I happened to think of a verse in the Old Testament. “Take us the foxes, the little 
foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes” (Song of Solomon 2:15). 

That got me thinking of those little bugs that were creating such havoc in my life. It’s the little things that 
you don’t think of at the time that do all the damage. My focus usually is on the “big” things in my life, 
which allows those “little” things to do most of the damage. 

Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, Ocala, FL 34472, where he lives with 
his wife. Call him at 352-216-3025 or e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com. The church web site is www.
whatafellowship.com. 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …November Birthdays* Flo Mankin, Alberta Curran, 
Carmela Frontino, Kathy Wood, Lena Zate, Joe Pergola, Janice Kacer, Valerie 
Howard, Lois Stueck, Jean Wood, Shirley Yergeau, Pat Krok, Irene Nakagawa, 
Anna Ross, Mary Steinberg, Mary Bowser, Susan Clifton, Mary Higgins, Kim 
Buchanan, Leigh Thach and Sue Quinn, Jill Girod, Pat Krok, Jeanne Martin. 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 
626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 
SENIOR ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA MADRE 

City Hall and the Hart Park House will be closed Thursday, November 11, 2021 in observance 
of Veterans Day and Wednesday, November 24– Friday, November 26, 2021 in 
observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER IS OPEN!!!!

 In house lunch dining service will not resume at this time. Access to the computer/
classroom is temporarily unavailable. All Classes and programs will maintain 
a distance of 6 ft between participants. All equipment used will be sanitized after 
each use before it is stored. Each participant is responsible for providing their own 
water, masks and additionally needed supplies for each class. Please call the Community 
Services Department at 355-7394 with any questions or concerns. 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 
Wednesday, 11/17, 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park House The object of the game 
is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or more trains, emanating 
from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that you may have. 
Led by volunteer Loni. 

PAINT PALS 
Tuesday, 11/16, 10:00 am—Hart Park House If you enjoy painting, sketching, water 
color, or making some other form of artistic creation please join our new program, 
PAINT PALS!!! Bring a project that you are working on to the HPH and 
enjoy some quality art time with other artists looking to paint with a new pal. 

TEA AND TALK SENIOR BOOK CLUB 
Wednesday, 11/10 & 11/23— 9:00 am Staff has launched a new book club series, 
Tea and Talk, which meets twice a month to discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, 
love and so much more that each selection will have in store! 

FIBER FRIENDS 
Tuesday, 11/9 & 11/23—10:00 am If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, 
needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or cross stitch then we have a group for you! 
Bring your current project, a nonalcoholic beverage, then sit and chat with like-
minded fiber friends. We meet in the Hart Park House 

CHAIR YOGA 
Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 am Please join us for some gentle stretching, 
yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation with Paul. Classes are ongoing 
and held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion. 

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE 

 Every Friday, 10-10:45 am Bring a lei, your flower skirt or just your desire to 
dance! Hula in the Park is back and waiting for you to join in on all the fun! Memorial 
Park Pavilion. 

Please call Lawren Heinz with any Hart Park House Senior Center program questions 
or to reserve your spot in classes that have limit space. (626) 355-7394 or 
send an email to lheinz@cityofsierramadre.com 

MICRO METRO INFORMATION Service hours of operation are: Monday—
Sunday between 5:30 am-9:30 pm. Download the Metro Micro App, visit: book.
metro-micro.net or call 323-GO-METRO (323) 446-3876 

HOW TO TRACK DOWN AN UNCLAIMED LIFE 
INSURANCE POLICY 

Dear Savvy Senior:
When my dad died, we thought he had a 
life insurance policy, but we have no idea 
how to track it down. Any suggestions?
Searching Son 


Dear Searching: 

Lost or forgotten life insurance policies are very common in the U.S. According to 
a study by Consumer Reports, 1 out of every 600 people is the beneficiary of an unclaimed 
life insurance policy with an average benefit of $2,000. It could be like finding 
out you have a secret savings account. 

While unfortunately, there isn’t a national database for tracking down these policies, 
there are a number of strategies and a few new resources that can help your search. 
Here are several to get you started. 

Search his records: Check your dad’s financial records or areas where he kept his 
important papers for a policy, records of premium payments, or bills from an insurer. 
Also contact his employer or former employer benefits administrator, insurance 
agents, financial planner, accountant, attorney or other adviser and ask if they 
know about a life insurance policy. Also check safe-deposit boxes, monitor the mail 
for premium invoices or whole-life dividend notices, and review old income-tax returns, 
looking for interest income from, and interest expenses paid, to life insurance 
companies. 

Get help: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners offers a policy locator 
service (see NAIC.org and click on “Consumer” then on “Life Insurance Policy 
Locator”) that lets you run a nationwide search for insurance policies or annuities in 
the names of people who have died. There are also six state insurance departments 
(Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and Oregon) that have free 
policy locator service programs that can help you search. To find direct access to 
these state resources visit the American Council of Life Insurers website at ACLI. 
com – click on “Missing Policy Tips.” 

Contact the insurer: If you suspect that a particular insurer underwrote the policy, 
contact that carrier’s claim office and ask. The more information you have, like your 
dad’s date of birth and death, Social Security number and address, the easier it will be 
to track down. Contact information for some big insurers include: Prudential 800778-
2255; MetLife Metlife.com/policyfinder; AIG 800-888-2452; Nationwide 800848-
6331; John Hancock JohnHancock.com – click on “Lost or unclaimed policy 
form” at the bottom of the page under “Quick Links.” 

Search unclaimed property: If your dad died more than a few years ago, benefits may 
have already been turned over to the unclaimed property office of the state where 
the policy was purchased. Go to MissingMoney.com, a website of the National Association 
of Unclaimed Property Administrators, to search records from 39 states, 
Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Or, to find links to each state’s unclaimed-
property division use Unclaimed.org. 

If your dad’s name or a potential benefactor’s name produces a hit, you’ll need to 
prove your claim. Required documentation, which can vary by state, is detailed in 
claim forms, and a death certificate might be necessary. 

Search fee-based services: There are several businesses that offer policy locator services 
for a fee. The MIB Group, for example, which is a data-sharing service for life 
and health insurance companies, offers a policy locator service at MIB.com for $75. 
But it only tracks applications for individual policies made since 1996. 

You can also get assistance at Policy Inspector (PolicyInspector.com) for $99, and LLIFE 
(LostLifeIns.com) for $108.50, who will do the searching for you. 

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit 
SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The 
Savvy Senior” book. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com