During my summers in college I worked on the assembly line at Binney & Smith Inc., now Crayola. Every other week when we were paid, I’d run to the bank after work and cash my check. Yes, “cash” my check. I had a white bank envelope thick with cash—ten-spots, twenties, and fives galore. It was encouraging to see what I had earned. Of course, I saved some of the money for school, but the rest I’d put in my wallet for the next two weeks; my precious spending money.

I realized the other day, after paying $6 and some odd cents to the cashier at Wegmans with my debit card, that cash in all its green and tactile glory (not to mention its scent—remember the smell of money?) is no longer tangible. My cash is now in an electronic wallet—somewhere. I never see it. I never even see my payroll check, really. That’s automatically deposited into my electronic wallet. I guess if I really wanted to, I wouldn’t have to get that check directly deposited and I could run to the bank and get an envelope of cash, but now that just seems frivolous, irresponsible, and dangerous. Plus, it’s a time-eater. We don’t even have time to smell the roses anymore, much less our cash.

But my life is more convenient this way, right? I never even see my bills or bank statements anymore either. They come to me electronically, and I pay them that way, too. There are few opportunities to write a check these days, which I am certain is better for the trees. So now I wonder if billfold sales are down. How about money clips? Shouldn’t someone be making debit card clips now? How would that work?

Hey, maybe this change is a blessing. Maybe it’s better that we can’t see all the money that we no longer have since the economy has done a swan dive. Speaking of change, maybe I better grab the dimes, nickels, and quarters I have floating around in my car while I can, or that will disappear, too. Cha-ching!