CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS: Not Just Presidents — We’ve All Got ‘Em!
If you’ve been following presidential politics lately, then you know the story. Last November, a batch of Classified Documents belonging to President Joe Biden were discovered in his private office at the Penn Biden Center. More Classified Documents were uncovered at Biden’s personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware, in his garage famously in boxes next to Biden’s beloved corvette.
To be, as Fox News puts it, “fair, balanced and unafraid,” I should add that former President Donald Trump is embroiled in multiple lawsuits, some of them stemming from his handling or mishandling of, yep, Classified Documents. Leading to that little matter of Swat Teams and the FBI’s raiding of Trump’s residence at Mar-A-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida.
So, you’re thinking this is going to be one of those political hit pieces, with a rehash of the Classified Document situations of the two presidents.
Rather, it’s about us — you and me.
While most people look at Joe’s and Donald’s (plus former VP Pence’s and others’) situations with regards to Classified Documents and find them far removed from our ordinary lives as Americans, there is a similarity:
At some point in our lives, each of us will need to gather, collate and compile “official documents” of a different sort — for our next of kin.
Mike drop.
You should know I’ve got nothing imminent going on healthwise or otherwise to prompt this examination; I hope and assume you are similar.
But this debacle of our current and former presidents brought something to light for me — that, much like Biden or Trump, I’m also in sole possession (“command” would be too strong a word) of a lifetime of papers, documents, deeds, and legal files, scattered in boxes throughout my house and garage that could quietly remain exactly where they are right now, but for one thing — my growing desire to “leave office” with everything in order.
THE RUSE: REVEALED!
So, there it is.
You’ve uncovered my not-so-clever ruse for tricking you into reading my thoughts on assessing our own “classified documents” situations — for non-presidents, what could loosely be referred to as “estate planning.”
So, thanks for reading thus far; have a nice day!
But seriously, face it, we all know that we should be proactive in adjudicating and allocating, and words starting with capital “A,” the stuff and nonsense of our lives.
Why?
Well, to streamline the process of future events such as filing for insurance, selling a house, relocating or downsizing, dealing with our various mortgagors (mortgagees? I never can keep that straight). But also for that “other thing,” you know, when the time comes…
So, depending on your age, you may be thinking the rest of this article is a hard pass. Sure, besides the hassle of gathering a lot of dusty, old papers and documents, at any age, the prospect of one’s future demise is no romp in the park. But just maybe you’ve been thinking it’s something you should know more about, for now or a later time; if so, read on.
I can pretty much guarantee that this introduction to getting your Classified Documents in order will be easier, more pleasant and even funner, than paying an attorney by the hour at a later and likely more stressful time in your life (or worse, leaving it for your survivors to sort through).
And luckily, I have news for you — mostly good. Before I’m done, I also have a bit of a challenge for you.
First of all, I don’t know you.
And our actual age, physical and mental mileage probably differs somewhat. Let’s say you and I are in relatively good shape mentally and physically. So, there are things we clearly DON’T have in common with either President Biden or Trump. Namely —
- You and I do not shake hands with the air.
- We don’t typically have trouble finding words.
- We don’t reminisce about recent conversations we’ve had with dead people. (Confession: I reminisce regularly about conversations I’ve had with loved ones who have passed on; just ask my grown children).
At the same time, it’s undeniable that there is something we DO have in common with both presidents —
Transitioning. We are all doing it!
Pending tabulation of November ballots, Both Joe and Donald could be described as “transitioning” either into a second term as President, or into private life, whether it be to the shores of Rehoboth, NJ or to Mar-A-Lago in Florida.
And in “our” cases? We’re transitioning, too, aren’t we? Simply put, from one stage of life to another.
Joseph Campbell is the renowned philosopher who described the importance of myth in our lives, and also inspired that whole “Star Wars” thing. He popularized the idea of seeing our roles in terms of “archetypes.” He characterized an archetype for the latter stage of our lives as that of “Sage.” Think “Yoda.”
Eyal Danon, in his book, “The Principle of 18: Getting the Most Out of Every Stage in Your Life” (Blue Branch Press), describes this Life Stage as “Giver.” But the principle is the same.
What Campbell, Danon and others have wisely identified here is that there comes a stage in our lives where our priorities shift, as we graduate from being “Adventurers” and “Explorers” and move into the role of “Sage” or “Giver.” That’s when it becomes time to take on the obligation to shepherd and facilitate the Life Stages of those who follow behind us.
One of the things that means is collecting, collating and codifying (lots of “C” words, I know) the Classified Documents of our own lives. When you think about what those documents represent, it’s an awesome responsibility though often unheralded.
So, here’s a thought — instead of looking at your Classified Documents or estate planning as one of those unpleasant, depressing, “gotta do’s” that Life occasionally throws at us, try looking at it this way…
You earned it!
By dint of achieving “Sage” status (or “Giver,” or whatever), you’ve earned the right to take serious stock of what you’ve achieved in your life with regard to finances, your home, your obligations, your insurance, and your assets. And not just for your family, your heirs or your children. But for yourself as well; more on that later.
Think I’m talking about a Will?
Ok, I’m not not talking about a Will.
It is the first thing that comes to mind. According to Reid Kress Weisbord in The Conversation, “68% of Americans do not have a Will.” As Weisbord points out, the idea of creating a Will to deal with disposition of property, investments and official papers dates back to 1677 and an English statute, something called appropriately the “Wills Act,” and hasn’t changed much since.
If one should pass away without a Will, all manner of legal problems ensue for the heirs and others. To do so leaves the departed “intestate,” which I always thought was when a certain body part or two neglects to drop at puberty.
Of course, any self-respecting viewer of the many lawyerly tv shows knows that requirements for a Will, simple as they may seem, can be rife with dramatic complications — lost ones, unsigned ones, illegible ones, or multiple ones.
In fact, did you know that the most likely reason a court would find your Will invalid is due to your signature? Because you may not be in compliance with the most basic requirements.
For instance, according to the Wills Act, “A person who creates a Will, called a ‘testator’, must sign or acknowledge a previously made signature in front of two witnesses who are present at the same time.”
Yes, at the same time! Seriously, how many of us would have known that?
Another example: you and your family may have felt the need to create a Will during the pandemic, as many did. If so, that may have posed additional impediments. According to Weisbord, “Judges have historically required witnesses to be physically present for the testator’s signature, so traditional law regards videoconferencing methods are nonstarters.”
Take that, Zoomsters!
Keeping Things Safe!
Let’s assume you’ve surmounted that little speedbump and you already have a valid Will in place for you and your family.
Nice work! But before you congratulate yourself too thoroughly, just having a Will is not enough. You still need a secure place to store it, and other documents, for when the time comes, hopefully a long way away.
There is a solution, in fact a number of them. Most of them come with titles that may be a little daunting to say out loud — a “Death Binder,” a “Legacy Drawer,” “Final Files,” and something cleverly called the “NOK Box” (“next of kin”, get it?).
Whatever the scary name, these different systems emphasize that, by dealing with such matters before the need arises, you are actually creating a valuable “gift” to your loved ones for a presumably much-later difficult time.
Also recognize that this is a gift to yourself — for the peace of mind you will experience by having such matters resolved, taken care or and locked away for the distant future. Far distant. Far, far.
(I reference the Will because it is arguably the most important item to safeguard; obviously there are many more documents to be included as well.)
The “NOKBox”
For myself and my family, I chose the NOKBox. I admit, mostly for the all-encompassing and non-threatening title. But, as I looked into it, I was impressed with the philosophy behind it, and the rigorousness of its foundation.
Reading the introductory literature accompanying the NOKBox (I like saying it), the creators of the system make this promise: “while the topic of preparing for your passing can be serious, getting organized can be a fulfilling venture.”
Ok, this is going to be a ‘venture’. A fulfilling one. I’m up for that.
As NOKBox describes itself, it is more than simply for so-called “End of Life” issues. It is also a complete system that encompasses estate planning and home organization for the here and now.
Depending upon the version you choose, the NOKBox includes a container to contain all your files, with multiple folders representing categories of record keeping, and a checklist inside each folder — from mortgage information to healthcare directives, to insurance policies, keys, you name it: the NOKBox covers it.
Here, I was going to include a whole list of steps to take. However, it turns out, if you pick any of these systems, then the “How To” Steps will be spelled out for you. Or you can find solid How To’s in a quick search on the internet.
Whether you’re using the NOKBOX or another system or just sifting through your garage, here’s my short list of To Do’s —
1.) Set a reasonable goal of collecting one or two categories of files per week — mortgage, insurance, medical, etc.
2.) Revel in the fact that you, unlike most people, are way ahead of the game. And that your executor, your creditors and especially your beloved heirs will thank you for being so proactive and forward thinking.
3.) Pat yourself on the back for your biggest accomplishment of all — NOT handling your Classified Documents the way that Donald and Joe did!
As an aside, one can’t help but wonder how straightforward and carefree Joe’s and Donald’s last years would be without the chaos of lawsuits and imbroglios both men brought upon themselves by their mishandling of documents. Non-political; just facts.
After this brush with mortality that such talk usually engenders, here’s some really good news: by taking charge of your Classified Documents now, or in the near future, you will have the distinct and comforting pleasure of knowing that —
- No SWAT team or FBI agents will be pounding down your door in the middle of the night.
- No subpoenas will need to be issued to family members (then again, if your adult children don’t heed your calls to discuss these thorny “transition” issues, a subpoena is an option).
- And, as an added benefit, if you and I do all of this work, we may well be able to avoid the most fearful “SWAT Team” of all, that of Father Time.
By the way, while we’re all “future focused” and being proactive, there’s nothing to say that something cannot happen to us tomorrow. Just sayin’ what we all know, that Life, and its aftermath, are unpredictable.
So, the NOKBox, or whichever method you choose, becomes a remarkable chance at a kind of “time travel” — to reach out into future and bring predictability and stability to your family and your heirs for an unknown future time.
By adjudicating the estate matters of money, house, etc., out of mind, you can now spend more time focusing upon your loved ones themselves, and the more sentimental possessions you may want to share with them.
Because, my fanciful comparison with presidents aside, in the real world it’s not the assets, property and papers, official or otherwise, that hold sway in our minds as we reach the “Sage/Giver” stage. Rather it’s the family stories, the simple, valueless-though-priceless objects that you would want each surviving family member to have after you’re gone.
For myself, that would start with:
The school bells my late wife, a teacher, used to call her classroom in from recess;
My son’s first volleyball trophies, way before he led his high school to a Southern California championship;
The ancient computer that I built from a kit and which provided the name for another son (no, not “Radio Shack”).
Sorry; got a little lost in my own reverie there.
The point is that each of us will list our own memorable and cherished keepsakes. Trust me; if you put even a few minutes of thought into this, you’ll see how important it is. By keeping and cataloguing the non-classified objects, keepsakes and mementos of your life, you are ensuring that they will become a bridge between generations across which will flow the stories, values and good times that are the essence of a life, and the life of a family.
For my own NOKBox, there will also be something else — a notebook of sayings and aphorisms that have had special meaning for me, one of which came to mind as I was writing this:
“Only the wealth which comes from patient toil and the health that comes from the simple open life survives.”
I don’t know who said this, but it seemed like a fitting epitaph, uh, epilogue (sorry).
Ending Thoughts; New Adventures
And once this last responsibility is complete, what follows is delightful, relaxed dotage, right?
Not hardly.
There are many more adventures out there for those as privileged as you and I, still mobile and cognizant to enjoy the richness that Life has to offer each of us, even in later years. Who knows? Maybe I’ll clear out enough space in my garage to be able to park my new Corvette!
THE CHALLENGE
Almost forgot.
Earlier I promised you a challenge and here it is. Among the systems I reviewed, they all had one thing in common: a“first step.” For me, this article has become my “first step” (Applause Sign “ON”). Whether you decide to embark on your Classified Documents adventure now or at some time in the future, I’d be honored to know that reading this may have served as a first step for you.
Happy time travel, Sage!
© Copyright Kirby Timmons, 2024. All Rights Reserved.
