Pictures describe some situations so much better than words … I work at a mortgage bank (for now). I’m just one of the many faceless behind-the-scenes high-IQ, high-tech computer geeks. You know, the ones that keep everything working and the money flowing. We used to feel so comfortable as employees here.

Even protected … almost like they cared about us.

Now we’re starting to feel a little worried.

We definitely suspect that something’s up and we’re feeling a little “left out in the cold”..

Our board of directors just kind of hung around

If not just plain old fell asleep at the switch.

All fat and full of fish.

While our top executives tried all sorts of get-rich-quick schemes. First they bought up just anybody even vaguely related to lending – without looking too closely.

HELLO! Notice the flag, dummy! THIS looks like a good buy. New paint! Of course, you end up picking up their problems.

Hey! We’ve got a buyer on the phone! Great! Tell him he’s got a deal and lets get out of here! And picking up the clowns in suits that got them into that situation in the first place.

That didn’t work too well …

So then they tried selling loans to anybody still breathing. Maybe we can get rich off the fees. We all know how well THAT worked. What do you suppose the “sub” in “subprime” is referring to? What did you think would happen when all those tricky little ARMS came due? You can’t treat everybody like a lottery winner.

Or give loans to anybody you could talk into taking one.

Hah! I told them they were condos and got a loan on each one!

Without ever thinking about what could be coming up behind them.

Dear, do you hear something? Or adapting to changing conditions.

I swear! The water will be back someday!

And we kept it up. Until, of course, the housing market crashed.

And our stock took a dive.

Some of us already know our fate.

And it’s downright demotivating sometimes.

But the rest of us are starting to feel the heat too.

And starting to feel a little underappreciated and overused.

And there’s a lot more job stress now as we take up duties we would never normally do.

I hate my new job!

Shhhh, act casual. Am I doing it right?

Of course, we know we’re not being deliberately targeted – we’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But we’ll keep trying to do the best we can with what we’ve got left.

For those of us who survive this, it’s going to be kind of lonely.

Yup, it’s definitely getting smaller. But a lot depends upon what happens next. Potential buyers are already poking around. Some don’t seem to be too unfriendly.

But we suspect most of them are a little more predatory.

Even if they’re just watching to see what happens.

And, of course, our competitors are properly sympathetic.

We would ask our ex-CEO about all this, but all we could find was this crumpled up note.

We can only hope that he actually tries to drive to Tahiti!

Update … Never mind, it’s all over. The tasty bits have been gobbled up.

And the rest is going the way of all mortally wounded beasts.

Sigh … I better start practicing for my next job … “Would you guys like fries with that?”