When’s the last time you looked at your/a checkbook? Do you have a checkbook? I had to dig mine out today. I say had to, because it wasn’t by choice. And I don’t whip the checkbook out too often. On this particular occasion, I got a surprise bill from the lovely city treasurer’s office saying it’s time to pay my real estate taxes. Christmas joy.

I had to dig through the junk drawer (an old shoebox) of my desk to find the checkbook (since I wasn’t able to pay my bill online). Underneath the stapler, conglomerate of sticky notes, paper clips, calculator, EKG calipers I haven’t used in years, and a handful of keys that belong to unknown locks, I finally found the checkbook. It was like dusting off a fossil from an archaeological site. The thin, gray, rectangular book was worn, with shabby edges, as if it’d been leaned on and handled too many times. I flipped through the thin sheets on the top, all the way to the more firm back where the checks should have been. But there were no checks. I guess that’s why it was so thin. All that was left were the tissue-paper thin duplicate sheets of former checks written. Time for a trip down memory lane.

These checks went back to 2018. September 2018: a $3000 check to Donald. That was when my husband bought a van from his uncle. Not one of our best purchases. After we realized we didn’t need a van, it was gifted to a friend to use for his business. So maybe that redeemed the purchase?? October 2018: A thousand dollars to my mechanic for truck repairs. Some charity toward the church we were attending at the time. January 2019: $50 to the city to renew my concealed carry permit. February 2019: $66 to Virginia State Parks for a yearly pass. March 2019: a wedding gift to an old friend – $100. April 2019: $1700 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). April 2020: $1200 to the IRS. On to the next checkbook that actually did have some fresh checks: January 2022: another gift for a friend’s wedding. March 2022: $2,300 to the IRS (do you see an overarching theme here?).

Checks. They tell a lot about a person. Their address, their bank. But also, what people spend money on. There’s something personal about checks. Have you ever been on the receiving end of a check? It’s fun. But I was reminded today that writing checks is good too: I live in a country (and city!) where there’s order – and a lot of peace compared to many places in the world. I have paved roads to drive on, fresh water to drink, a truck that comes through once a week to remove my trash, a military that protects my rights. So eh, writing a check to the local and even federal government does get me something. Since I took the time today to write a personal check to the city treasurer, I figured I’d send a note too stating why my check was late (it was legitimate, I learned from the representative I talked to on the phone). At the end of the letter, I told the city treasurer (or whoever will read it) thank you – for all she does for the city.

See, a debit card doesn’t evoke the same emotion as a checkbook. There’s something about the handwriting and having to sign on paper. It’s like sending a letter versus an email. A check signifies an official deal. It’s intentional. No plastic, chip, or PIN involved. ~