Shorts:Different Paths, Diffrent Dreams
MoNoRi-Chan idly scrolled through Instagram, the familiar blue glow washing over his face in the dim room. It was one of those nights, the restless nights where sleep felt like a distant acquaintance. A friend's post caught his eye: a carousel of smiling faces, chubby toddler cheeks, and captions filled with glowing emojis about reaching #milestone after #milestone.
He clicked on his friend's profile. Each image was a snapshot of a life he hadn't chosen. The 'meet my college sweetheart' posts, replaced by 'graduation day!' followed by a flurry of wedding photos, white lace, and tearful vows. Most recently, a series of baby pictures – ultrasounds, tiny hats, a squalling newborn evolving into a grinning toddler. The captions a constant stream of 'blessed', 'grateful', and 'mommy's little miracle'.
A flicker of unease sparked in him, not out of envy, but a stark awareness of how different their trajectories were. Where her path was marked by milestones of love, family, and the sweet chaos of motherhood, his was paved with ticker symbols, risk assessments, and the solitary thrill of a trade gone right. No messy diapers or sleepless nights for him, but years poured into spreadsheets, eyes glued to news feeds and the pulse of global markets. He'd traded the potential for a family for a portfolio, the comfort of routine for calculated risk.
He swiped away his friend's life, the blue light fading from his face. Instead, his fingers tapped open a brokerage app, the familiar green and red numbers a strange comfort. Thirteen years. Thirteen years of grinding, learning, losing, and slowly, steadily... winning. This was his gamble, the path less traveled. And now, a new chapter was upon him.
MoNoRi-Chan closed the app and opened a blank document. It was time to put down not trades, but teachings. The idea for the Jade Temple had been simmering on the backburner of his mind for years. Now, with his experience, with the wisdom of time, it was ready to take form.
He began to type. Not about stocks or options, but about mindset, discipline, and deciphering the deceptive dance of the markets. He called his future students 'Jungetraders', the name a mix of the playful and the serious, a tribute to his own path.
The Jade Temple would be his legacy, not a child, but a knowledge passed down. He wasn't built to be a father, but perhaps, a sensei. As the words flowed under his fingertips, MoNoRi-Chan felt a familiar heat in his chest. Not the fever of a bull market, but a quiet satisfaction. His path might be unconventional, but it was undeniably his own.
