You miss it most when you realize it's gone...

[elSicomoro]

For the first time in the 10 years I've had one, I lost my ATM card last week.

I was getting on the bus last Wednesday morning, pulling my wallet out to swipe my Transpass. And as I opened my wallet, there was something noticeably missing...the ATM card.

I didn't panic too hard. The last time I had seen it was when I used the ATM the day before...maybe I forgot to take the card when I left the ATM. A short time later, I called the bank, had them cancel the card, and waited for my new card. A look at my bank account showed no extra transactions.

It takes 5 days to get a new card. I probably could have gotten a temporary card from the bank in the interim, but truth be told, I really didn't think about it at the time. I figured I'd be alright w/o it until it came.

And I was for the most part...but in not having the card for over a week (it just came in the mail yesterday), I realized how much it has become a part of my life.

--Last Thursday, I ran up to the grocery store to get the ingredients for my sweet potato pie. When the cashier asked how I was paying, I instinctively replied "MAC" (Philadelphia is the only city I've been in where the key word for an ATM purchase is "MAC"--Money Access Card, and not "debit."). Well, I opened up my wallet and, oops! No ATM card...had to use the credit card. Not a huge deal b/c I can xfer money from checking back to the credit card. But still...

--Sunday, I needed to get money for a money order. Went to the ATM and...forgot I had no ATM card. Tried using my credit card...turns out that I don't know the PIN for it! Had to go back home and get Rho's ATM card.

--Yesterday, I wanted to get $20, but remembered that I didn't have the ATM card. So, I had to write a check for cash and go inside the bank to cash it. Haven't done that in ages.

Well, as I mentioned, the new card came in yesterday's mail, so we're back in bliss again. But it's amazing how all this newfangled technology changes our lives...and how easy it is to get hooked on it.