Is amalgamation the answer to turmoil among the banks?

I turned on the news the other day as the words 'amalgamation' and 'the banks' were being bandied about at a mile a minute. I missed the start of the news item but in my own inimitable limited manner I applied my brain on your behalf, dear readers.Turmoil has hit the banks as never seen before and never have so many eyes been watching to see what might happen next or who will blink first.The outcome will have far reaching consequences - not only for the banks where upheaval has being brewing for some time past, but it could affect the very structure of Irish society. Possibly the Government has worsened the situation by casting doubt on future funding of performance and support schemes and this remains to be seen.The fact that a leading spokesman for one side is on the payroll of the Ulster Bank could possibly complicate the situation especially for anyone like me coming in half way through a news bulletin.From what I have read and heard it is clear that an impasse has been reached, out of which no solution looks likely at the moment. Overexposure and the leaking of crucial information has compounded an already bitter debate - with a manager by the name of Mr Gerald McCarthy, with the full backing of company secretary, Mr Frank Murphy, washing the official line of business in public. This hardline approach is being vehemently opposed by branch tellers, articulated by the above bank employee in both English agus as Gaeilge; a Mr John Young-Halpin - or something like that - if I"m not mixed up…Amalgamation is nothing new and it has worked with this sort of dispute in the past. Expect opposition though from vested interests which have no hand act or part in creating the problem and would be landed with the troublesome child, so to speak.Tipperary delegates, for example, see no problem in their branches and would not be in favour of any amalgamation being imposed on them. Nor would counties Waterford, Limerick or Clare be favourably disposed to having laid-off big time players being indulged within their respective borders. Kerry looks to be the best hope for those disgruntled movers and shakers from the branch by the Lee.It hasn"t been a great year for Kerry football and the mouth watering prospect of Kerry winning a hurling All-Ireland would surely woo investors and supporters even from Cork. Yes, dear readers, it is strange times down by The Banks of The Lee and it is sad that we may never again hear 'De Banks' sung on the first Sunday in September. I am just sitting here waiting for Sean O"Rourke on RTE 'News at One' to make sure I got all my facts right…."Nothing in the Post..."The postman isn"t the man he used to be at all, at all. He might be the same friendly obliging guy, but it is how his material has changed over the years which makes him less welcome. Once he generated an air of anticipation and excitement as he delivered long epistles of news from England and America and lovely hand-written notes from family and friends all over Ireland as well. And where would you get a surge like the old fashioned love letter? Oh dear oh dear!Those days are gone and with them the wonderful art of letter writing. Remember the days when you took your time opening that familiar envelope, read the letter slowly and again later over a cup of tea and confided its contents with family and friends? Then you might put it away and read it again tomorrow. Another of life"s little pleasures sacrificed to the world of progress.For centuries letter writing provided an essential method of communication. Letters written, by all kinds of people, have remained and provide us with an insight into the lives and times of our ancestors. Many letters written by famous historians, heads of state and authors are now valued as a part of our history. But the same is true of ordinary people whose letters have been passed down through family generations. What beautiful handwriting every generation engaged in until it came to our turn. Every pen-pusher, be they a prime minister or a humble shop boy, took pride in the quality of their handwriting.Our next generation will suffer the loss of similar intimate records of the age we now live in. Texting and email has taken over from hand written letters. The modern method of communicating is fast, efficient and cheap but it somehow lacks the same feeling as pen and paper and is less personal. In the old days the letter writer not only prided him or herself on the artistry of writing but was exact about spelling and grammar as well. I"m told that spelling and grammar is not regarded as important in many schools today and this must surely be another manifestation of the attitude that anything goes and nothing is wrong. Until recently we boasted about our young educated population but not for much longer: we are the only country in the world where thousands apply and are granted concessions not to be marked on spelling or grammar in state exams; something like 7.000 were given such 'privilege' this year alone.To some extent we are nearly all guilty of doing away with standards since text and email came along. In hand written letters I usually still do my best, while using every imaginable abbreviation in text. Subconsciously I have a perception that an email letter doesn"t matter as much: I wont go back to insert a capital letter or correct a small mistake. Could it be that I use my small mistake so that when I inadvertently make a bigger one, the reader will think I am just too busy or too lazy, rather than uneducated or ignorant? Then I apply a double standard by judging a person on how they write to me - especially if my name is incorrectly spelled!The postman is not as welcome as he once was because he now delivers mostly bills and junk mail. It is a lovely rare moment when the hand written 'thank you' or other note arrives, but they are few and far between.Don"t forgetPeople prefer to stay with problems they understand rather than look for solutions they are uncomfortable with.