Dear Reader:

If I could find the perfect job right now, that would make me the happiest, it would be surprising someone with a little “surcie” for being themselves…caring, wonderful people. Now that makes me happy and that is what happened yesterday…but the story starts back in recent history.

If any of you bank at First Citizens in Summerville or the low country area,  you know that these are the times “that try mens’ souls” (and computer illiterate blogger’s souls too.) First Citizens has been completely revamping their on-line banking program to a new digital (super-duper) presentation. The “old” on-line banking program closed for several days last week to complete the transition.

As with most technological conversions…glitches appeared and then some more and then some more and the time-table was extended. Confusion and frustration arose when old customers couldn’t get into the new on-line banking spectacular …with all representative lines blocked for long time periods. Instead, after unsuccessful attempts directions appeared that detoured us back to our individual financial institution for help with new security measures, codes, passwords, time-limits, etc.  Whew!

A nightmare for one and all. But especially for the poor bank tellers who are trying to still wait on customers in the bank and also talk frustrated phone-callers through all the hoops and loops of re-entering their on-line banking accounts. Frazzled is the word of the week I feel sure for these wonderful bank tellers.

Several weeks ago, long before I even knew about the upcoming new on-line banking program…I went to check my account and it wouldn’t open. I tried several more times that day and it froze every time…not letting me in. Now I am a visual learner and particularly when it comes to numbers and finances I need to ‘put my eyeballs’ on the numbers before me while planning my monthly expenditures. I am lost without it.

Gin-g even came over one day to help me….she took the computer seat while I talked to a company representative on the phone asking her why I couldn’t get into my account and we all tried, for over an hour, to get my account open. I was finally told that my computer was basically too obsolete to handle new security measures that were being implemented and I would need to update my computer.

I am just happy when my computer turns on every morning…and I don’t have the money to buy a new computer so I can check my on-line balance. So for the past few weeks…I have felt lost without it. …But then a ray of hope arrived.

First Citizens announced the new digital on-line banking program and told us customers what it would do and assured us we would be amazed. Maybe, I thought, this is my break-through…I will be able to go back in again, once this new system is complete.

Yes and no. It was my break-through (my saving grace)… as far as being eligible again to go in…the problem now was the glitches within the program knocking people out of their old accounts due to new security codes, time-limits on changes, new passwords, etc.

Wednesday morning I woke up with a determined look on my face…I was going to take “Goliath” down …I would get in my account no matter what or how many stones it took! I waited over a half an hour to speak to a voice on the other end of the line two times and both times we would get close and either the phone transmission would fail or some other glitch deprived us of victory.

Finally, as directed,  I called my “financial institution” and Susan Myers, Super-Hero banker esquire, answered the phone. Between customers she and I drew nearer to entering the “sacred” hall of new on-line digital banking. Close…but not in.

Susan suggested we try again yesterday morning when we were both fresh with no or few customers around for her…she said she knew we could do it and she could smell victory. At 8:30 Thursday morning I called…at 8: 40 I was in! The thrill of glory!

So I sat down, wrote my hero a note, grabbed twelve mini-brownies with cute Halloween icing on them from Publix deli, along with some flowers, and headed to my wonderful bank…that contained my even more wonderful new friend…Susan Myers.

When I walked in she was on the phone (with her back towards me so she didn’t see me) and I could hear enough of the conversation to know that she was with another frustrated customer calmly walking and talking him/her through the procedure. “Don’t get discouraged now…don’t give up on me…try looking through your spam for the missing code…you found it…wonderful…we are going to get there.”

When she had time to come up for air and turned around…she spotted me in line and just shook her head in disbelief…a tired smile on her face. This woman has more energy in one little finger than I do in my entire body…and she gives every bit of it to every single customer. She has been way overdue for a little gratitude coming her way and believe me…it is a LOT OF GRATITUDE from me to her.

It is people, like Susan, community heroes in our lovely town of Summerville, that make me a proud citizen of this special hamlet in the tall pines of the lowcountry!

It is refreshing, during these down-right disturbing political times, to look around and see what my dolphin tried to tell me several years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer…“All is right in the world…the universe is just as it should be…you are all right…now go live your life indeed.”

*If you happen to drop into First Citizens on Main Street in the near future…please look for Susan and tell her Becky says “HI and THANK YOU!”

So until tomorrow…Let us always remember, on the tough days, that God’s plan for our lives always exceeds the circumstances of one day. It will get better.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

My two beauties who brought me joy yesterday morning…bright and early! They helped me celebrate my break-through into my new banking needs spectacular.