When Mama first heard talk about cryptocurrency as a hedge against inflation, a lot of it went over her head, a lot of it she didn't understand.
Mama's world was simple.
She lived from day to day on single dollars and pennies.
More magician than Rumpelstilskin, she turned the straw she was dealt into money so that her children wouldn't go hungry
And chained as she believed she was to penury, she didn't think she had the energy to learn anything about trustless, decentralized, blockchain money.
Mama had a system. She would always turn off the TV on budget days and never bothered herself with talk of the economy. To her, talk about macro-economics and budgets was a luxury, and she couldn't afford luxuries though she knew how to economize.
She felt that bull and bear markets was rich people speak, the domain of people who could afford to lose millions in one fell sweep while she swept around at the back of her cupboards for food so that her children could eat. She, who made bush tea for her family sweetened with the residue of yesterday's sugar, felt that she could not and would not understand the concept of a non-repudiable digital dollar.
For years, Mama refused to pay attention.
And she went along with the authorities when they said, this thing is too dangerous, stay away for your own protection.
That is, until she woke up one morning, and realized that she needed protection from them.
Mama woke up one morning and the gas price had flown so high, she wondered if it were not rocket fuel.
She walked to the grocery store, and yelped because the food that was usually reserved for the poor had price tags that said, you can't afford us any more. And she felt even worse when, as she fumbled for the crumpled paper dollars which clung to the base of her purse, she saw the cashier roll her eyes at her mini computer.
Mama left the store that day, the blush spreading to the roots of her hair covered with the handkerchief which at home also served as a kitchen towel and cloth napkin, and she resolved to find a better way.
This is a true story.
My mama woke up one morning, opened her eyes, no, really opened her eyes, and realized that if she didn't do something, none of us would survive. And in that moment, the Queen Bee resolved to find a new HIVE.
She was ready to embrace cryptocurrency,
And she pushed to the front of the line, hands outstretched for some FU money.
When inflation came and paper money lost value, Mama found a safe haven for her family in cryptocurrency. And she changed her status from under to unbanked, and said to us decisively, we will be free.
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Hi everyone, this is my contribution to the #weekend #freewrite prompt posted by @MarianneWest in the #Freewriters community.
The prompts:
- inflation
- turn off
- residue
- mini computer
- clothes napkin
- a better way
Here's the link.
In this piece, I am the voice of a daughter who tells the story of her mother who is at first sceptical but later embraces cryptocurrency. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to reading your pieces as well. Have a great evening!