Reflection

Friday Reflections, Volume XVII

October 15, 2021
Steven McCormack
1 min

Feels like we're on the cusp of something, no? Bitcoin is bubbling away, and giving the impression it is going to erupt at any minute. And whilst I try not to obsess over daily price patterns, it is bloody hard not to get sucked into the buzz. Nevertheless, whilst we await the next leg of our monetary revolution, there are a couple of insights I'd like to share.

First, I have been running the official Long Curiosity node for nearly a month now. And I can't quite believe how seamless the whole process has been. I had envisaged a fiddly, hair pulling endeavour. But instead it was a rather pleasant experience. So I must commend Umbrel for creating such a user friendly, even glossy, software interface. I can navigate my node far more easily than any banking website. Such ease of access is fuel for the network's fire.

Second, by becoming a node operator, my understanding of Bitcoin has evolved significantly. A theoretical framework has been transformed into lived, practical experience. I monitor the Mempool to check on my Lightning channel status. I engage with other node operators to create liquidity swaps. I scroll through 1ML and Amboss to find other Lightning peers. I collect sats for routing payments through my Lightning node. It is a vivid demonstration of my previous notion; that Bitcoin, and by extension its timechain, may just be the the final word on financial freedom.

History Is Happening?

To say I'm excited by all this is a criminal understatement. I sure like the idea that I'm watching shit go down (and dollar value go up) in real time. But the usual caveats apply, and with it, Mark Twain's timeless words;

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so".

So as we enter crypto silly season, I remind myself to be open minded. I keep my ears open to all perspectives, and steer clear of the dreaded echo chamber. That is why I maintain my allocations to other 'assets', even if I don't quite hold the same conviction in their offering. Wouldn't want to miss out on a gold rush now, would I? Plus, I know exactly where my gainz will be going; straight to a self-hosted Bitcoin wallet.

Signing out, Steven.

Photo by Bill Jelen on Unsplash.

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