Banking Blip

Remember seeing movies and photographs about the Great Depression and crowds of people outside of the banks pounding on the doors wanting their money. I had a flashback yesterday.

I had a banking transaction that I needed to do inside the bank. When I arrived at 9:15 AM there were about 15 people standing outside the door of the bank. My first thought was that they had changed the banking hours or maybe my watch was wrong. Just about the time I got out of the car, the guard on the inside of the bank opened the door to the bank. A bank representative came to the door and said that they had a small problem and you could make a deposit but not a cash withdrawal. They expected the problem would be fixed in the next few minutes.

I was probably the oldest person waiting to go into the bank. My first thought was that image of people outside the banks in the 30's wanting their cash. But no one else seemed concerned. One or two people left, others asked her a question or two and the rest filed in to take care of their business.

I was making a deposit so I went on in to the bank and when I reached the teller I asked him what the problem was. "Oh" he said with a bit of nervousness in his voice, "it was just a little computer problem but I think it is straighened out now."

I'm a child of the depression. I remember specific stories from my parents about how the Great Depression affected them and I think I remember the essence of stories heard when I was too small to remember them as well. My first thought was, "Good, then give me my money while you still have it."