Paper or plastic?

I wandered out of my office and into the doorway of my coworker's office. She was busy doing something productive on the computer.

I wasn't wearing shoes.

"So," I said. "Paper checks."

She turned in her seat and peered at me, chin propped on a hand.

"Like, checks. Made out of paper. Do people use those?"

"Mm."

"Stores? Grocery stores? I mean, does Costco take paper checks?"

"Yes."

"Well ... shit."

"It wouldn't occur to me, either," she said kindly.

"No, but seriously. I was in Costco today, with all that stuff I was going to buy, and -- my ATM card, you know? It expires on 01/06. And it's February."

"Yeah."

"So."

"Did you have the checks with you?"

"Yes. But I mean -- checks. With paper. And carbon copies. And ... you know, writing."

She gave it some thought. "Well," she said.

"I had to take it all back."

"Because you couldn't pay for them."

"Well, my debit card was expired."

"Yeah."

"And goddammit, now I'm going to have to go back and get everything again. I'll have to find the stuff and get it off the shelves--"

"Yeah."

"And pay for it. With a paper check."

"Yeah."

"So, anyway. I feel a little stupid."

I wandered back to my desk.

I have clear memories of my mother writing checks at the grocery, or at the store, watching her perfect handwriting -- neat, legible, elegant -- marking up the page. The carbon was always clear, as though she'd written right on it with pen. At the end of the day, she tallied everything, wrote up a little score at the bottom, and then put her purse away.

It was the epitome of maturity. I desperately wanted to write checks. I would cut out little pieces of paper with my blunt, kid-safe scissors, and pretend to pay for things with make-believe cashiers.

Once, I even sold my sister to a neighbor. I think I wrote a check for that, too.

I didn't have a good grasp on the intricacies of commerce, back in those days.

Damn, do times change.

[17:56] Flamingo: "Hey, check card. Doesn't work. Maybe actual paper checks..."
[17:57] Yuhri: I NEVER use checks.
[17:57] Yuhri: So it didn't even occur to me that they were an option.
[17:57] Flamingo: Then why do you carry them?
[17:57] Yuhri: So I can pay bills through the mail. :(
[17:58] Flamingo: But you can leave them at home for that. You don't need to CARRY THEM WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE. Unless you wanted to use them.
[17:58] Flamingo: I think I'm going to post on Monster to see if we can find you a PA. Or a nanny.
[17:58] Yuhri: I pay my bills at WORK.
[17:58] Yuhri: Sometimes.
[17:58] Yuhri: Uh, but usually not.
[17:58] Yuhri: So, hm. You're right.
[17:59] Flamingo: Yes. Yes, I am.
[18:00] Yuhri: I just went to ask my coworker if she would've thought of paper checks.
[18:00] Yuhri: And she said NO. so THERE.
[18:02] Flamingo: My eyes, they roll. AT YOU.
[18:03] Yuhri: I'm just saying, this is not the way my brain works.
[18:03] Flamingo: ...It works?