Once there lived a man with a small but growing family. 

Like many in his position, he took his responsibilities seriously and was careful with his money.

His wife being home made the worries and stress of providing worthwhile.

Life was good, and together they climbed the ladder.

Then, along came Bitcoin.

As if struck by lightning, the words of Satoshi would ring in his ears without end.

It was a blessing to be standing here. 

Right place, right time. 

But he was cursed with the constant reminder of its power.

To stop the ringing, he would dip his toes into the water, buying small amounts of bitcoin.

And he spoke incessantly of its marvelous properties to all in his sphere.

The few who did listen never seemed to become cursed with the tinnitus, as he had.

"Did they even read The Whitepaper?” he would ask himself.

Nevertheless, he went on with his new mission.

One day, he struck up a conversation with an older man of his guild.

The old man spoke of regrets and how he wished he'd taken more risks when he was younger. 

The opportunities and ability to invest were present, but the will to do so was lacking.

Despite this, the old man was accomplished and comfortable.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder what could have been.

He was now preparing to retire, and it was all a bit too late.

Upon hearing about the younger man's interest, he urged him to action.

"Take the risks that I haven't."

Still unsure, but feeling inspired, the younger resolved to wade in deeper.

The water was cold and it felt good too.

But as many of you know, diving into water really is much easier.

There is no shock of your balls hitting the surface. 

A little time passed as he contemplated this final plunge.

He knew from experiences past that the water would feel warmer once submerged.

Finally, with a storm brewing just ahead, he took the plunge - balls be damned. 

Just then, an epic storm did rise up.

The winds were so fierce that nothing in its path would be spared from upheaval.

Hodling on for dear life, the man was filled with a wild mix of emotions.

Decisions had to be made.

He would not leave the water after fighting so hard to get in. 

As the storm eventually calmed, he observed that the shore had receded far out of his sight.

There was little time for reflection. 

He resolved to carry on.

No, he would not spend his days dreaming of what could have been.

Seeing no land, the man chose to dive deeper.

To speed the dive, he added weight to his bags.

Faster now, yes, faster.

As he dove, a small light appeared ahead.

It seemed an underwater cave was coming into view.

Why is it lit? 

Where does it go?

"Go inside”, a little voice said. 

Once inside, he saw that the cave curved upwards and opened into an air-filled cavern.

At first, he could find no one there, but it was lit and other evidence of life surrounded him.

Echos began to fill the chamber.

The voices were all mixed together, but yes, there were many.

Some were sweet and full of promises.

Others dripped with venom and gave the air a toxic buzz.

A few sounded like old friends who may lend a hand.

Seeing that the cave only led in one direction, he wandered toward the voices.

As he went deeper he found their source.

This cave was filled with many small and inaccessible shafts.

By closing some of them off, he could hear more clearly.

It seemed that some of the voices were calling to him.

Should he speak into the shafts? 

Would they listen?

Some voices were friendly, with an air of misgiving.

Others were genuinely interested - having found a new voice too.

Eventually he learned that each of these voices had made a similar journey.

They each fell up (or was it down?) a hole that had consumed them entirely.

They explained that the cave opened up, and it was possible to go wherever you chose.

Some would even meet out there while disguised or even wearing regular clothes.

But most seemed content with their talks through the walls.

The man had learned enough for now and decided to return to the wider world.

He still visits the chamber regularly (too regularly?), but his heart and mind are quieter now.

Life outside is more peaceful, sweeter than ever.

He no longer fears the thought of what could have been.

When he's inside the cave he can rant and rave with the others.

But now that he knows some of its secrets.

It's all in good fun.