Ah, 2011. The year when Angry Birds was the height of gaming, and Charlie Sheen was “winning.” While the world was busy, I was doing something that could have *actually* changed my life: writing articles for a forum that, in a stunning display of foresight, gave me the option to be paid in *Bitcoin* or *USD.* Yes, Bitcoin—back when it was just some mysterious internet monopoly money that I foolishly scoffed at.
So, there I was, minding my own business, cranking out content for a few bucks here and there. Every time I submitted an article, I was given a choice: “Hey, do you want to be paid in cold, hard USD, or this digital nonsense called Bitcoin?” Naturally, in all my wisdom, I thought, “Pfft, Bitcoin? That sounds like something you use to buy fake swords in World of Warcraft.” So, of course, I went with USD. I mean, why wouldn’t I? It was the *sensible* choice, right? Why mess with some weird, futuristic crypto when I could have a nice, shiny PayPal deposit and head straight to the store?
Let’s pause for a moment to truly appreciate the monumental scale of this decision. In 2011, Bitcoin was worth around $1. One. Dollar. Let that sink in. So, for every article I wrote, I could have been stacking up Bitcoin like a digital pirate hoarding treasure. A few articles here, a few payments there, and I could’ve been swimming in hundreds—maybe thousands—of Bitcoin. But no, I, in all my short-sighted glory, stuck with USD because I didn’t want to mess with "magic internet money."
Now, fast forward to today, and Bitcoin is worth—wait for it—$60,000 per coin. Yup, sixty thousand dollars. For a coin. And here I am, left with memories of those PayPal payments that paid for a couple of burritos and a Netflix subscription.
If I had just taken a few measly payments in Bitcoin, I’d be lounging on a yacht, sipping a fancy drink with an umbrella in it, and laughing at my good fortune. Instead, I’m sitting here, clutching a cup of coffee and regretting every choice I made in 2011. I could’ve been the person writing think pieces about *how* to spend millions in Bitcoin. Instead, I’m writing *about* how I missed out on millions in Bitcoin.
But hey, at least I played it safe. I chose the stable, reliable option: good old USD. And look where that got me. Not on a yacht, that’s for sure. Meanwhile, the tech nerds and risk-takers I scoffed at in 2011 are buying islands and launching rockets into space with their Bitcoin fortunes.
So, what’s the lesson here? Sometimes, when you’re faced with a choice between something you don’t fully understand and something you do, maybe… just maybe… take a chance on the thing that seems a little out there. Otherwise, you could end up like me, missing out on millions, stuck in an endless loop of, “What if?”
In conclusion, if you ever invent a time machine, please give me a call. I have a few payment choices to rethink.
