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 When I was 18 my grandfather was put on hospice care.

I was in college about two hours away. 

So I would take the train out and visit with him as often as I could during those final few months.

One day it snowed. The first snow of the winter. I took a photo of it and came in the house to show him. 

He was laying in his hospital bed staring out the window. 

“Illinois… the armpit of the nation” he said.

I could tell he was reflecting on his life and regretting many of his choices. 

Layer that night he grabbed me by the arm and said… 

“you know Hodl, out there are a couple of guys on a beach somewhere with pretty girls sitting in their laps… and the only difference between us and them is that they have balls.” 

I never forgot it. The message was clear. 

I’m old and dying. It’s too late for me, but not for you kid. Be a goddamn man in this life. Have some balls.

A few years later I put everything I had  into bitcoin. 
 I love that your grandfather called you Hodl before you got into bitcoin. He had the vision. 🫂 
 He knew 
 Little Hodl💕 In czech you'd be Hodlík. Hodlíček💕 
 Taking life by the balls!!! 
 It is a sadly uplifting Tale of two men communicating REALLY important condensed information about life. You’d make him proud. 
 Appreciate that. Id like to hope that’s the case. 
 Great advice from an old man to a young one 
 Fiat puts you under pressure so much you forget to live sometimes. Big balls is the way. 
 sounds like a good granpa. may he rest in peace 
 He was and he fought the nazis. Good guy. I miss him. 
 .... Damn...  
 If your grandfather had no balls, then how is it you exist?

Don't you think he was trying to tell you something? 
 tears 
 Love this 
 6.15 or bust no pun intended 
 🫡 
 This is great. I feel attacked as a Midwesterner, but he was not wrong 😅 
 I think a big part of his personal story is that he went to journalism school with Hugh Hefner and they knew each other in college. That really fucked with him his whole life, that if he had the same guts he could have had the same kind of life. It probably wasn’t true, but that’s what he believed. 
 I am in the Midwest for the next few years to put in work at a lucrative job. I think it's the right call at the moment, but I could have been somewhere warmer teaching martial arts in the sun too - was a tough choice.