Sept. 26-Goodbye to Career in Banking

Friday morning Jeff dropped me off at the Metro, and I returned to the office for the last time and finished a few final stories for the newsletter I wrote, edited and published for 22 years. At my parting reception, with wine and turkey rolls, I relaxed and we shared some stories about some of the misadventures of my career. I pointed to my career ‘highlight’ as the spokesman for the defense of ATM fees, a role that I pointed out no one else in the industry cared to perform. I noted the cruel irony that I am now paying large ATM fees, including an extra 2% on international transactions, and can’t follow my own advice to walk a few extra blocks to get to my own bank’s ATM and avoid the fees, because that would involve walking thousands of miles.

I left CBA for the last time, but just before leaving sang a song, acapella, that I had written for such an occasion, back while still living in the US. I didn’t sing it before the whole group, but Joe and Melissa and Steve and a couple of others were around to hear it and get a couple of laughs. It’s sung to the tune of ‘The Weight’ by The Band, my classic rock karaoke favorite.

I rode into the city, on my Harley Davidson

Hooked up with a yogi, she said you must be the one

We went riding in the country, and ended up in France

Next stop was Costa Rica, where we started making plans

(Chorus)

Take a load off Fritzi, Take his load, he’s free

Take a load off Fritzi,

And…you’ll want to live just like me

I’m going down to Nosara, Costa Rica is my game

Got a little house there, and more are on the way

Hey mister, I can tell you, how you can get a bed

Just put my name in Google, You can find me on the web

I’m going down to the beach now, got a surfboard in my hands

It’s a different kind of commute, I got an attitude transplant

Hey surfer can you tell me, what the waves are like today?

Got me a board and an old guitar, cause I sure do like to play

I went down to the crossroads, and the devil made his stand

I said, ‘Hey Lucifer,’ I got your contract in my hand

Well, Fritz, my friend, the devil said to me

You did me a favor son, and kept the bankers company

I especially liked the last verse, it rang true more and more every time I looked at it.

As I left CBA for the last time, I felt the strong imagery of the building collapsing as I shut the door behind me.

I took the Metro to Bethesda, and then walked in the rain for a few blocks to find Andrea’s house where Jane had set up a bedroom. Although it was the close of a 28 year career in banking public relations, I felt more numb than celebratory. It was to have been a night where we also belatedly celebrated our wedding anniversary, but it seemed that all we could do was find a Thai restaurant in the neighborhood before heading over to Margie and Richard’s house to watch the first Presidential debate.