An ode to Wamu

It's a sad day for my wallet.

Some of you know that at one point in the band "experience" I sort of lost my cool. I felt such a lack of control in our life that I was going to scream or hit or leave. One of my biggest frustrations was that I felt like I didn't have any control over ANY of our money. My birthday was coming, and that was the last straw because I knew my b-day check would go straight to the band. I just couldn't handle it.

Finally, one day I blurted out as a last resort, "I think I need my own bank account." I thought Tim would go postal, but he just said, "Ok, that sounds great. If that is what you need, do it."

So, feeling like a very mature and more controlled women, I searched out banks, and I picked one for me. I opened some accounts with Washington Mutual. I used passwords and pins that Tim didn't know, and I truly enjoyed this little piece of MINE (Don't touch.) I think for a long time, Tim didn't even know where the account was.

Well, a few weeks after I opened the account with my $100, I got hired full time at the college. Suddenly I was the major bread winner, and HE, HE, HE, I had all the money in my private little space. (Not "secret" little space. We don't keep secrets. I feel very strongly about that -- for the the record.) I had half of my check deposited in my Wamu accounts and half into our joint accounts at other banks so Tim could pay all the bills.

I messed up a lot, overdrew a lot, lost my checks a lot, ran out of money a lot. But it was mine, and that is what mattered at the time.

When Tim left the band, we started joking about my "secret" accounts. I would pretend to be worried about him looking over my shoulder and stuff like that when I was banking online. And he kept telling me that Wamu sucks, and I should find another bank. I, of course, would retort that he was just trying to get his grubby hands on my large estate. We laughed about it, but there was always a little truth, which made us laugh even harder. I would just always remind him. "I can't leave Wamu. Wamu saved our married when you were being crazy."

But Wamu is no more. It is turning to Chase Bank, and I hate Chase. So, this is my ode to a dying bank. As I take my money to a local credit union this week, I just wanted to thank Wamu for giving me the strength I needed during a time that was hard as hell. You felt save to me, Wamu. Thank you. May you rest in peace.

And may my credit union have better overdraft protection.