Hey, you know what I heard?

A story crossed my mind recently that it seems might be worth passing along. You have probably heard it before, frankly. It's half joke, half cautionary tale. In either case, it's worth re-telling.

As the story goes, a lawyer bought a box of expensive cigars, then bought an insurance policy to protect his investment. Of course, the lawyer then proceeded to smoke the cigars over a period of time, as might be expected, . The twist in the story comes in the revelation that the lawyer then made a claim against the insurance policy, suggesting that the cigars had been lost in a series of small fires.

It sounds funny, so far, right? And the twist is...

The narrative goes on to suggest the case went to court, and the lawyer actually won the case. The insurance company issued a check to cover the losses – and the lawyer cashed it.

Get set for twist number two!

After cashing the check we are told the insurance company had the lawyer arrested for arson – the proof being his own court testimony about the fate of his cigars, which he willingly set alight. The lawyer is found guilty on the criminal charge and goes to prison for 2 years.

All of which brings us to twist number three. The story is an urban legend. It did not actually happen. It's nothing more than an entertaining, albeit untrue story.

The lesson in this humorous little story is a serious one. We all hear stories, and make assumptions based on the plot line of those stories. Whether it's harmless hearsay about a cigar smoking lawyer, or an anecdote with more serious ramifications, it is important to keep in mind that serious decisions affecting our health, wealth, property, and the future stability of our families should be based on something a bit more solid than, “Hey, you know what I heard?”