Liquid Assets

Liquid Assets, the quilt wall hanging featured above, is another in my series of quilts on the theme of money.  Liquid assets are actual cash or assets you can turn into cash very quickly.  No three-months notice to wait to withdraw from your savings account, or having to sell something.  It is good to have loads of the readies, but dangerous too, as they are soon gone, spent on goodies, or just quickly disappear into the necessities of life.  Very like liquid, it just runs away and disappears quickly.   I have been guilty of spend spend spend at times when I seemed to be earning quite well.  Easy come, easy go, with me.  All that money just sitting in your bank account, or cash lying around, it is just too tempting.  Soon gone, then what?

It is the opposite of my quilt “Bankers’ Bonuses” which showed wads of cash locked up safely, hoarded.  But both the ability to shop till you drop, or having loads of money locked away, both the cash and the stash, make us feel more secure.  Buying things makes us feel more secure temporarily.  We are giving ourselves a present.  When we got presents as children, it was because we were good, safe, loved, deserved it, or it was a celebration occasion, etc. etc..  So we try to  re-create that good feeling as adults.  I noticed that I bought handbags when my job was going badly or I had lost it.  Handbags made me feel more secure.  When I had been dumped by a man, I bought clothes, particularly ones with a fake-fur trim, I noticed.  Fur trims probably made me feel like a sweet little girl who someone would take care of…..    Men are supposed to buy a new car.  Women often want to do up the home or buy a new one.  What do you spend your liquid assets on to make yourself feel more secure or cheer yourself up temporarily?  Do we turn to God at these difficult moments in our life, our real security and our Rock?  No, we go shopping.  Foolish us.

In this quilt above, I have made it all watery colours, with fish swimming around, and light reflections contrasted with murky depths.  This represents the illusory fugitive quality of cash and similar liquid assets.  People thought this quilt was the best of my money series, and I used it a lot in my publicity printed materials.  A couple of my longest-term friends bought it, one of whom had been a stock broker, so appreciated the idea.  Sadly, they never hung it though.  Thought they could have at least put it up in the bathroom…..