It was probably a smart thing, regardless

But I'm still not entirely proud of it.

A few years ago - back when there were greater fears of another terrorist attack on our soil - I had a Safe Place in my dwelling, a place where I could keep a decent amount of money in small bills. Just in case, you know, the banks and credit cards and stuff got attacked, so I wouldn't have to sell my body on the street for a gallon of milk.

As time passed and the worry got less, I spent the money...there were times I just didn't feel like running to the bank, and I needed a couple of twenties, or something. So I didn't have any cash on hand.

Well, as this week progressed, a thought kept nibbling at the back of my brain: yes, my money is in a credit union. Better yet, a credit union that didn't offer mortgages. And I know about the NCUA and all.

But. I kept thinking more, and imagining the phrase "I will trade wheat for sheep" and that kind of thing. And I decided that maybe, just maybe, it would be kinda smart to resurrect the Safe Place plan, and to get some cash in small bills. You know, just in case. Just in case some idiot in Congress decides the smartest way to deal with this thing is to suddenly declare a week-long Bank Holiday, or some similar idiocy.

So, after prepping the Safe Place (and NO I'm not telling what it is. Even though I think only Ken, Emily, and Sheila know my for-real for-true name and even then they probably don't know where I live), I went down to the credit union and drew out a large-for-me but not overly-large amount of cash, asked for it in small bills.

Like I said, I'm not proud of it. I felt like one of the characters in "It's A Wonderful Life," down at the Building and Loan, making a run on the bank while Jimmy Stewart stands behind the grille and pleads for people to remain calm.

But no one at the credit union questioned me. (Though they do have a new rule, which I support: withdrawals over a certain amount have to be accompanied by a photo ID like a driver's license.)

So I have my money squirreled away, in a place safe from fire and safe from all but the most persistent of thieves. Hopefully I won't need it, but will once again wind up slowly bleeding it away at times like when I want a pizza but have no ready cash, or when I need to make a small cash donation for something.

I keep thinking of the old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." I wish they'd be a bit LESS interesting for a while.