I was thinking about writing a portentous essay on banking – you know the kind that is involved with the bailing out of lending institutions. But, I remembered that I cannot do math and it would be ridiculous for me to wax theoretical or practical about the terrible times we are experiencing these days just before we consider changing horses in midstream.  The conundrum is that if we go to Obama we will be changing horses but we will still be riding Bush if we choose McCain.  I think I even have messed up this explanation of my thoughts on the matter.

But all was made clear when I remembered my childhood days when my Mother took me to the Howard Savings Institution in Newark, N.J. and assured me that this was a bank that could be trusted.  I got the idea that it was the name that attracted her and I have always, since then, had a soft spot in my heart about guys who are named Howard.

We banked at the Howard during the depression.  My Mother assured me that if we had money in that bank that it was safe and thus, we were safe while others were having a terrible time.  I was considerably buoyed up by knowing that unlike many others, our little family and the deli business my folks ran was in good shape.  I knew on a rudimentary level that we put our money in the Howard and the Howard lent that money out to other people.  The Howard charged those it lent money to and the difference paid us for the use of our money and the bank for the service it provided.  This, I understood.  It doesn’t seem to work that way any more.  It has gotten to be a complicated mess with people and institutions not being able to pay their bills and going into bankruptcy.  This seems to be a legal way for the lenders to be cheated out of their just due for trusting the banks and those to whom the banks lent money to.

I think my latest letter from a former student, Jean Dacey, gave me the opportunity to explain the whole thing in simple puppet terms.  I have a group of little marionettes lent me by June Smith which can be used in different ways.  She sent me a witch and a Hansel and Gretel.  They are from the 30’s and are in excellent shape. It is an easy transition making the witch into a landlord who demands that the Widder Hushmamouf pay the rent.  She says she can’t and eventually Jack Justintime appears to say “I’ll pay the rent” Young Sweetbreath Hushmamouf swoons and says, “My Hero”.

It is not quite that simple but it plays well with most people who either see or can imagine the story.  Mean villains and good people in peril need a Jack to save the day.