More then a decade ago I spent a few years working at a bank and I loved it. I adored my coworkers, we were like family. I worked in a small branch and we really had the opportunity to form relationships with the members that would come in and visit during their weekly trip to the bank; I enjoyed the familiarity of these visits. They would frequently share stories with us, tell us of there news, sometimes even make us laugh so hard we could barely breathe. These are some great memories for me and there are times I really miss that job. So you may ask, if everything was so great, why I chose to quit. Well let me share a story with you about something that happened ten years ago this month.
It was a normal day, we were rotating through lunches and at one point there were only three of us there, sitting at the teller line chatting, gossiping and giggling away. The next thing I knew there was a guy standing in front of me, pointing a gun in my face and I was putting money in a bag he was holding open. He was covered from head to toe in black, the only part of him that was visible was his eyes, and as soon as I looked at him, there was something familiar about him. I am convinced he saw that recognition click in me and it seemed to freak him out. After we all emptied our drawers into his bag he made us lay on our stomachs on the floor. He hovered over us, pointing his gun at each of us; we just knew that was it. I remember at one point, me and one of the other girls grabbing each others hands, I don’t remember if either of them were crying, but I’m sure I was. And then as fast as he appeared, he was gone. I know it didn’t last more then a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.
As it turned out, that familiarity we had with our members came in very useful that day. He happened to have an account with our bank and I wasn’t the only one that recognized him. After reliving the experience with the investigating officers, they called in a counselor, who came in and talked with us, and then they sent us home for the day. My family and friends tried to keep me busy for the better part of that evening, and I didn’t watch the news. What I found out the next day is that there was a chase and some sort of a standoff; unfortunately he ended up taking his own life. I know some of my coworkers seemed relieved it was over, but I think it actually made it worse for me. I was horrified knowing that gun he had pointed at us was real, with real bullets, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. I know what he did was wrong, I know how terrifying the whole experience was and I know there needed to be consequences for his actions. But I also whole heartedly believe that while what he did was wrong, it wasn’t who he was. There was more to him then just someone who made a terrible decision and terrorized three innocent people while he robbed a bank. The reality was he made a series of bad choices that ultimately left him believing he had no other options but to end his life. I know he has a family that loves him and is most likely still grieving to this day.
After Ethan was born, I did go back to work part time, but the memory of what had happened continued to haunt me. After becoming a mother the risk seemed to be too great, I needed to know that when I went to work everyday, I would be coming home safely to my husband and son.
I still miss the girls I worked with. We need to get together some time and reminisce. Trisha, Angie, Allison, Terra, Ingrid….I’ll be waiting for one of you to plan that!
It was a normal day, we were rotating through lunches and at one point there were only three of us there, sitting at the teller line chatting, gossiping and giggling away. The next thing I knew there was a guy standing in front of me, pointing a gun in my face and I was putting money in a bag he was holding open. He was covered from head to toe in black, the only part of him that was visible was his eyes, and as soon as I looked at him, there was something familiar about him. I am convinced he saw that recognition click in me and it seemed to freak him out. After we all emptied our drawers into his bag he made us lay on our stomachs on the floor. He hovered over us, pointing his gun at each of us; we just knew that was it. I remember at one point, me and one of the other girls grabbing each others hands, I don’t remember if either of them were crying, but I’m sure I was. And then as fast as he appeared, he was gone. I know it didn’t last more then a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity.
As it turned out, that familiarity we had with our members came in very useful that day. He happened to have an account with our bank and I wasn’t the only one that recognized him. After reliving the experience with the investigating officers, they called in a counselor, who came in and talked with us, and then they sent us home for the day. My family and friends tried to keep me busy for the better part of that evening, and I didn’t watch the news. What I found out the next day is that there was a chase and some sort of a standoff; unfortunately he ended up taking his own life. I know some of my coworkers seemed relieved it was over, but I think it actually made it worse for me. I was horrified knowing that gun he had pointed at us was real, with real bullets, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. I know what he did was wrong, I know how terrifying the whole experience was and I know there needed to be consequences for his actions. But I also whole heartedly believe that while what he did was wrong, it wasn’t who he was. There was more to him then just someone who made a terrible decision and terrorized three innocent people while he robbed a bank. The reality was he made a series of bad choices that ultimately left him believing he had no other options but to end his life. I know he has a family that loves him and is most likely still grieving to this day.
After Ethan was born, I did go back to work part time, but the memory of what had happened continued to haunt me. After becoming a mother the risk seemed to be too great, I needed to know that when I went to work everyday, I would be coming home safely to my husband and son.
I still miss the girls I worked with. We need to get together some time and reminisce. Trisha, Angie, Allison, Terra, Ingrid….I’ll be waiting for one of you to plan that!
1 comment:
Oh my gosh Brandy! I never knew that happened to you. What a scary ordeal. I'm just glad no one else was hurt in the process. What a sad but scary thing.
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