Everything in a Bank Rattles Me

Posted: July 6, 2010

This was one of the lines of a lesson in our English textbook in my class 7 or 8, which was written by Stephen Leacock (I think the title of the piece was ‘My Financial Career’). The short story talked about the author wanting to open an account in a bank, goofing up big time and ultimately deciding to save his silver in a sock at home.

Ever since I read the story, I have been fascinated by it…I wonder how, how exactly the author could take away MY story and put his own name on it 😉

Trust me, at the age of 28, everything in a bank/ life insurance office/ loan office, etc RATTLES me…I just can’t think straight! When I was in college, I used to help out ma and pa with their banking in terms of giving the PPF or withdrawing some cash (ATM cards were still not used at our household!) or perhaps getting the pass book updated (The elderly relatives still don’t trust the internet for banking!)

Anyways..so I used to find some excuse to take my cousin along and so my work used to be done..because she was her father’s daughter (my mama‘s daughter) and knew exactly what to do in a bank. I would just pretend to be the six-month-elder-to-her sister and act as if I WAS taking her everywhere…

Soon I got married…married into a family where handling finances is their middle name. My FIL, SIL, hubby and MIL..all of them are pros…well so that was to my advantage because whenever hubby would wear out his patience, FIL came to my rescue, explaining things to me….

I am zero at banking or handling finances…in a lot of responses to IHM’s tag, I have noticed the ladies reporting to be the financial experts of the house..well not me..I live up to my gender expectations..I am a big ZERO in finances, money management, or even counting money.

I have the unique record of counting and recounting and re-re counting Rs. 10,000 in 100 rupees notes for almost half an hour in front of the teller, while he made me stand aside and got done with about 10 customers in that time :(:(

I definitely get rattled in a bank or an insurance office. Ask me to go fight the tigers, I will do it, but facing a banker..nah, never!Either I forget why I went there, or I fill up the wrong form or ask for the wrong information, or just sit tongue tied in front of the ‘personal banker’ wondering why the hell did I come here in the first place. Whether it’s opening a new account, asking for updates on the phone, changing my mode of premium payment or just simply even opening my locker, I tend to goof up and its big time goof up..

90% of the times, my hubby does the work of calling up the call centres and asking for the relevant info..but at times when I have to do it, he actually holds up placards to prompt me the next answer correctly!!! and I tend to make MISTAKES despite that…

I get unnerved, don’t ask me why….it just scares the hell out of me. I tend to forget important documents (Hubby is always always ready with a check list when I have to go on my own somewhere related to money or finance or premium), or I forget to ask the most important question in the entire conversation..or just simply get into the wrong office! (yes I have done that as well….)

I so agree to Stephen Leacock when he says ‘Everything in a bank rattles me.’ It does…totally does..only in my case it includes banks, financial institutions, loan offices, insurance offices…well the list goes on…just give me a pair of good socks this Christmas..you know what I will use it for!