Please tell me stackers, if I wanted to crack my brain open and dump in a gallon of fresh perspective, where would I go?
My answer? Ghana, for sure. I've talked about it before. It was my first time in Africa. I had traveled north from Accra to a very, very poor part of the country as part of a consulting project (was a right place right time kinda opportunity) and had the pleasure of meeting the community there.
Of all the incredible conversations we shared, as a bitcoiner, one in particular sticks in my brain. It all took place after a game of soccer we played. Check out the field we played on:
I was talking with a couple ~20something year old locals, sharing stories about life. At some point they were wanting to hear all about the US, as they'd never been before. The "economy" came up, and they asked if I had any US dollars on me.
Now I know what you're thinking -- but no, they really didn't want any money from me. It was pure fascination. They'd never seen a dollar before in their lives, and were simply awestruck at the $5 bill I pulled out of my bag. Probably because they were used to making cents each day.
It blew the conversation wide open. They began sharing all sorts of dreams and aspirations they had in life. To come to the US, to start a business, and take their family with them. Fire and passion lit up in their eyes. All because of this dollar bill.
They were young and hungry to take on the world, just like anyone else, and despite the SIGNIFICANT disadvantage they're starting out at, they did not show it at all. They had full belief in themselves. The money wasn't a thing to them. They don't let the corrupt jurisdiction they were born into suck the life out of them too.
It was touching. One of those moments where all notions of being a "stranger" fly out the window: I was talking with them like years-long friends of mine. Paradoxically though, this moment was also highlighting to me just how wide of a gap fiat has wedged between the world...
Everyone is racing on the same track, but some get to start 10 or 20 or 50 laps ahead of the other.
Those two locals are starting at Lap 0, but based on that interaction and the way Bitcoin is moving, I've got all the confidence in the world they'll catch up fast.
Since Ghana, I've made it a point to collect fiat bills from every country that I travel to. After Bitcoin bitcoinizes, I want to have all these bills framed or stored in a jar (depending on how much I collect) to remind myself of how much change the world has gone through in my life. What will my grandkids think of these bills? How can I use them to teach something valuable about money? I am already plotting the orange pill conversations...