"The Pleasure and Pain of The Disappearing Checkbook"
You know what broiling is?
I'll tell you what broiling is.
There was this time when I went to the grocery store. At check-out, one lane only had one couple in line. Their cart was empty. Everything was on the conveyor belt.
Just for me! I would think.
As I stood there, reality crept in. I observed the old man half of the couple staring off, looking for his happy place. The old lady half of the couple seemed to be watching everything the check-out person was doing.
See, I didn't use “lady” as I identified the check-out person? How am I supposed to know what it was?
The total came to one hundred dollars.
I couldn't put my items up on the conveyor belt. Their empty cart was still between me and them, blocking the now EMPTY belt. The man came to and started trying to move the cart past his better half and get busy loading it.
She heard the total and only then started looking in her purse. After some rattling, she produced a check book. After placing it up on the little customer table, she opened it and started looking in her purse for a … pen.
Some time later, the check-out person offered her the check-out person's eleventh loaner pen.
At that time, the old lady looked up and asked,
“How do you spell Meijer?”
It was obvious something had to change for the better.
In the name of convenience and speed, the credit card came along. At first the card was duplicated with a slider kind of machine. The card was handed back and commerce was completed.
That led to the customer taking over by inserting or sliding or just holding the card or even their phone next to a machine. Abracadabra, and value transferred from my pile to someone else's.
All done FOR ME in the name of ease and convenience?
But something was lost.
It was the Check Book Ledger.
It was a log of my purchases and current total in my account of already collected money. Money, a representation of stored sweat, value, and work, ready to be exchanged for other person's sweat, value, and work. Easy.
The ledger showed the date, person or place I was giving money to, the amount of the purchase, and MOST IMPORTANT, the amount of money left to spend.
Looking and being reminded of the money I had already gathered gave me insight.
I'd look at that number, in my check book register, and maybe decide not to go to K-Mart next.
Yes, there was a K-Mart back then.
Maybe no K-Mart visit, because … no money.
But with the ease of the credit card, I needn't worry about that. You see, if the check-out person didn't say, “Sorry Sir, but your card has been declined.” then I still had plenty of money.
When I looked in my check book register, I was reviewing money I already owned.
When I used my credit card, I was working with money I could buy.
Money I could buy, you say?
Yes.
You see, when the old man and lady I mentioned above got home, they had one hundred dollars worth of food. They knew before they left the store how much they had spent.
When I use my card, I get home and the lovely bride says, “What did you get?”
I say, “I BROUGHT one hundred dollars worth of free food home, and I BOUGHT one hundred twenty-three dollars worth of money.
And not for the first time my bride says, “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Well, I had to buy one hundred twenty-three dollars worth of money to pay for the one hundred dollars worth of free food.” “Money costs money. I said.” Money plus interest equals money leaving my pile of value.
You see, over time, I've been taught to think of money I can borrow as money that is mine.
The ability to easily check my running total in any of my accounts has been exchanged for the ease of buying things with electronic devices. We're so modern. The ease and speed of the purchase rounds the corners of that sharp stabby feeling you get when you have to reach into your pocket and give someone almost every bit of cash in your pocket or observe your running total in your check book ledger go south.
Someone noticed humans would accept manipulation as long as it came with stuff that would cater to their laziness.
Getting warm yet?
Now tell me. Have you ever received an ad for a lawnmower after you bought a filter for your lawnmower motor? How about offers for printers after you purchase ink for an older printer? Maybe you have been searching for a better sauce pan? Now you're getting all sorts of information on kitchen devices?
You can't tell me it isn't possible to send me a quick e-mail with the last four numbers of my account and the running total every time I make a purchase.
Something like this: 4035 2,145.55
No business name. No account type. No problem.
But to turn up the heat a little more, don't you think when all the credit card stuff started someone brought up the ability to notify people of what they had left to spend?
Why do you think they decided not to?
Broil at 425 degrees for thirty years. Let's see if we're done yet.
Respectfully Submitted,
Your Rubin Reporter,
Six-Tenths Christian