As I get older I am starting to see things a bit differently. In a way, life is like this big hill where it's going up, up, up during the early stages of your life, then it sort of levels out when you're on top of your game. Most of us think it's going to stay that way forever, and that things will always be the way they are. In that phase of your life you're not overly concerned with illness or medical care or even insurance. I was reminded of all this when I got a brochure on Medicare supplements in the mail the other day.

I thought how there comes a time when you realize that you're getting on in life, and that the top of the hill, the place in the sun, appears to be behind you. That's not the end of the world, but it's definitely a different mindset. It affects work where thoughts of promotions and new jobs are replaced by the prospect of retirement. It affects leisure time where vacations may be planned not based on what you want to do, but what you still can do. You all of a sudden wonder if you saved enough for a comfortable retirement, how much money you'll realistically need, and how it'll all play out. While social security once seemed far away, it's now part of reality, and part of the budget.

These are the times when we most of us wish we had planned better, and started saving earlier in life. Maintaining a decent standard of living without a regular income can require a good deal of savings, probably more than most of us put aside. And even if we did, it's hard not to be sarcastic about it all when we see that the very institutions in which we trusted - banks, investment houses, brokers, financial advisers - mishandled things so badly that many of us are left with almost nothing. It's not a good feeling.

For now we can still trust the government to come through, and that means Social Security checks, Medicare and whatever other services and assistance we qualify for. And those who get pensions can probably count on them, though with all those many companies going bankrupt, you have to wonder how safe pensions are. Unfortunately, it's all part of life. In that respect, it's really no different when you're on your way down the hill instead of on your way up, or standing on top. Nothing seems quite as sure and certain and stable as it used to, but somehow we have to make do.

That Medicare supplement mailing actually made me think how important it is to at least get the basics right. A bit of planning can go a long way to stay afloat in these uncertain times. No one likes to pay for health insurance, but that is another thing we must face when it no longer comes as part of an employment compensation package or you get coverage through a spouse. That's what Medicare is for, health insurance for people who are older than 65. But Medicare doesn't cover everything in their Part A and Part B programs, and so there is Medicare supplement insurance, sometimes called "Medigap" because it fills gaps in the original Medicare plans. It's really mandatory to look into these Medicare supplements. If you haven't already, make sure you know what's available.