WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE !!

You know, it really does make my imagination run wild as to where all the missing money is as we speak. 

Well.. you know what I'm talking about, don't you?  Let's use as an example, the bank cheque you just got in your hot little hand for finally selling that antiquated old clock on gumtree.  God knows, you have been counting on selling that dust-gathering old relic of a mantle clock for months, and now you actually have a real honest-to-goodness sum of money to show for it.  Off to the bank!  Quick!  So excited!

"Can you cash this bank cheque for me please", says I, with all the innocent, excited expectation of a 5-year-old... silly me!

"Oh, no, sorry... can't do that, this cheque will take 5 days to clear". 

"Clear?"  I query.  "Clear?"     "Clear what?", I ask in a slightly more high-pitched voice.  Clear out?  Clear off?  Clear? 

"Clear..you know, before you can draw it out of your bank account", says the person across the counter, peering at me like I am the "slowest" creature to venture up to her hallowed perspex panel this day.

"Bank account?"  It's not in my bank account!  I just want to cash it....it's a bank cheque!"  and then, somewhat sheepishly, "please ?."     Rats, I could tell my face was beginning to flush!  Now I'm creating a spectacle of myself.   I would have thought that being a bank cheque, perhaps this illustrious institution within the halls of which I was beginning to feel like Bonnie of "Bonnie & Clyde" fame right about now, might actually be good for the money!

"Sorry ma'am,  you can check your bank account on Friday if you deposit the cheque into your bank account with me now".

"But.....but,  where will my money actually be ???", (my earlier euphoria and child-like anticipation totally out the window by now).

"Well, it's not actually anywhere, it just has to clear, as I just said..." 

Why do I feel like we just went full circle?

"But can it get lost?"

"Of course not!"  (condescending chuckle, really meaning to shout "WOULD YOU JUST HURRY UP AND DEPOSIT THE CHEQUE!!")

Anyway.... you know the rest.  You've been there.  All I can say is that somewhere out there in cyberspace, there is this ginormous money-pot with probably trillions of our dollars in it if truth be known, freely available for such institutions to decadently wallow in, a never-ending supply, to do with whatever strikes their fancy, so that when you and I finally are able to withdraw our collective investment, they have probably made a cool 10% or something on it!  How rude!  Then they will have the hide to rub our noses in it by telling us about their billion-dollar annual profit!   Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!