CHANGE

I put myself through Grad School on Swiss change including the flights to Wales. After Grad School I continued to squirrel away change and by 2004, some eight years later, I had more than three years of retirement money saved. After retirement I continued to save change, although not at the same rate and without touching the savings I already had. I have always lived under my income (a novel concept today) because I have more than enough to meet my needs and make me happy, although it is good thing I have no desire to own an airplane or a huge diamond.

And yes I know I could make more money if I invested in a stock market, but there are so many companies that do such harm, I couldn't sleep at night knowing that I was helping them. And yes, I also know my pension funds are probably invested in these same companies, but I can't control that. So I happily put my money in co-operatives and credit unions (and yes the post until there's enough to transfer) knowing that the money is going back into my community not to polluting a jungle in Equador or bribing the FDA to release an unsafe drug.

Thus this morning I took 800 CHF in rolled coins, saved from my stay in Geneva up to the Post to face... MY OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE POSTMASTER.

He weighed, reweighed, reweighed, reweighed each roll, found one short 5 centimes. The line behind me grew longer and longer and longer. He reached into his pocket and added the five centimes. I reached for my wallet but he shook his head.

No sooner had I gotten home and the phone rang. It was him. There was another error. Now I admit I have a major math problem almost to the point of learning disability. Thank goodness for computers to do what I can't. Back to the post office I went. We fixed the error. I can now go to Argeles with an empty piggy bank and when I get back will worry about the next step.

Still change has given me a sense of security. Maybe Ben Franklin was right. A penny saved is a penny earned or maybe it is a centime saved is a centime earned not to mention a five franc piece.