Bankers

Last night the building where I have my office had a grand opening party. Actually, the bank that's my landlord moved its retail branch to the corner of the lobby, to make room for a new restuarant that is supposed to generate big rental income, and they invited some building tenants and "private banking" clients to welcome in the new space.

"Private banking clients" are the rarefied customers with $100,000.00 or more in assets, who the bank tries to sell investment products to in addition to the usual checking and savings accounts.

I went down about 530 pm, and was greeted by my 2 teller friends, one a lovely Colombian young woman who's pursuing a finance degree at FIU, and the "anchor man," as I call him, a Black fellow about my age who has worked for the bank his entire career. The latter teller (I like the way that sounds) has a daughter off in college like I do, and we always trade tales of being happy but anxious dads.

There were about 50 people there, and we listened to some corporate welcomes from the local president, a nice fellow about my age with a degree from FIU, and the regional director from Atlanta, a sandy haired, Midwestern fellow named Eglund, or something, who, if you saw him in a crowd of 1000, you'd know was a banker.

One of the waitresses from the caterer, servivg shrimp, looked at me. She was vaguely familiar, and when she saw my name tag, smiled. She remembered we both worked as pharmacy technicians at Boca Hospital during the summer of 1983. She still works there! She's Italian, from Boston, and about my age. Later in the evening, she reminded me that about how I dated a "much older pharmacist" at the hospital, and how the other techs thought it was funny. I was 22, and the pharmacist was 35. We laughed, now in our mid to late 40s, about a 35 year old being "an older woman."

Anyway, as I drove home, I fantasized about being a corporate officer type like that Eglund fellow, flying around to openings, shaking hands, saying nice things, reporting to higher layers of bureaucracy, checking my retirement portfolio throughout the day. NAH! I've developed a rather strong fondness for owning my own business. I prefer to eat the shrimp rather than worry about whether it arrives at the party on time.