Money in my Pocket

When I find crumbled-up laundered money in my clothes, I am thrilled. As I unravel the greenback, I hope it's the hundred-dollar bill I lost not so long ago. Unfortunately, the big surprise is only a five-spot, but, oddly, I do feel a little luckier after this discovery. For some reason, I'm not overly excited when I find a credit card in an old coat. By the time I saw the old card, it was already canceled and has since been replaced.

When real money is in my pocket, I want to "make it rain " everywhere I go. When all I got is a wallet full of plastic, the best I can do is hope there is a cash machine around to make a transaction. Society is going in the direction of being currency-free, but I don't think that this will ever happen ultimately. You understand some things on this planet cannot ever exist in the cyber world, and one is the gratification that one receives when a tangible object is placed in their hands for services rendered. Take one day walking around a big city and see how many folks love being handed a tip for doing things for you. Everybody from the doorman at a hotel, the bartender, the Uber driver, the maid, and yes, even the stripper will smile with gratitude. Flashing your credit card is a cold, impersonal procedure. I don't think strippers carry transaction devices on their bodies, yet I believe this is possible by now.

When the day comes when paper currency is eliminated, I guarantee that one piece of paper will be replaced by something else. This might be an IOU slip or a coupon that has monetary value or perhaps a gift card, or a computer chip, or maybe a button on your shirt that contains economic worth. I know the finger and face recognition swipe will be the way of the future, but it will be a long slow process.

In fact, for years, I have been hearing about the penny going away. Well, this should probably happen because a one center makes no sense. Why does something cost 83 cents versus 80? I have loads of pennies that need to be sent packing; I just haven't gotten around to spend hours on end to cash in five thousand one centers. On the contrary, I bend over to pick up a penny on the ground thinking good luck is coming my way, but I don't get the same feeling when I find a Macy's card.