A man applied for life insurance. The manager asked about the age at which his parents died.
"My mother had a heart condition and passed away at thirty. My father died of tuberculosis at thirty-five."
"I'm sorry," said the manager, "we cannot insure you due to your parents' medical history."
Feeling depressed, the man left. A clerk who had overheard the conversation approached him.
"You shouldn't be so frank," advised the clerk. "No insurer will accept you if you speak like that. Use your imagination."
The man then visited another insurance office.
"Young man, how old were your parents when they died?" asked the new manager.
"My mother was ninety-three; she died after falling off her bicycle. My father was ninety-eight and passed away while playing football."