Short Story) Riding the Waves: Lessons from the Stock Market

<Riding the Waves: Lessons from the Stock Market>

 

“You know, I never thought stocks could be this terrifying.”

 

When I first got into the stock market, I was sure I could bend it to my will. I had a small pile of cash, and a huge sense of confidence. Success? It was just a matter of time. But now, staring at the sweaty smartphone in my hand, watching as the red line on my stocks plunged deeper and deeper, I wasn’t so sure anymore. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out where it all went wrong.

 

It all started with an article I read online: “How a Teen Genius Made Millions from Stocks.” The story was unreal. This kid, just like me, was raking in cash as if it were all a game. The stocks? Just numbers he manipulated to his advantage. 'If he can do it, so can I,' I thought. My grandma had just given me birthday money, and I had a little extra saved from working weekends at the diner. So, I dove in headfirst.

 

At first, everything went perfectly. My first few stocks? Green. Every day, the numbers went up. My phone became an extension of my arm as I obsessively checked the charts. And let me tell you, there’s no better feeling than seeing your money grow with just a couple of taps. Stock forums were buzzing, people sharing their wins. It was like I had joined a secret club of success.

 

I’d lay in bed, scrolling through my phone before sleep, grinning like an idiot. “It’ll keep going up,” I’d tell myself. I mean, why not? The news was full of optimism, the economy was booming, and even my friends, my teachers, heck, even the guy at the deli were talking about stocks. Banks were offering loans like candy, practically throwing money at people. Interest rates were low, and getting a loan was easier than getting a driver’s license. Everyone was playing the game, and nobody seemed worried.

 

Then, the bubble burst faster than a balloon popping. One day, out of nowhere, the charts I had grown so attached to collapsed. It wasn’t just a dip; it was a free fall. I could almost hear my money disappearing. People on the forums were panicking, selling off, and going silent. My group chat? Dead. That’s when I realized it—this wasn’t just a little market correction. This was the crash. The bubble had burst, and I was smack in the middle of it.

 

The aftermath was brutal. Stocks I had so confidently picked crumbled, and banks were now clawing back the money they had so easily handed out. Loans? Yeah, not so easy anymore. Interest rates shot up, and suddenly everyone’s credit was being scrutinized. Companies that had once thrived on the easy flow of cash were now sinking. Some went bankrupt. I stared helplessly at the news, watching as my investments—my hopes—disintegrated.

 

I remembered something my friend Jason had said a while back: “Everything goes in cycles, man. What goes up must come down.” Back then, I had laughed it off. Who thinks about the downside when things are going so well? But now, his words echoed in my head like some annoying life lesson that I wasn’t ready to accept. I had been blinded by success, completely oblivious to the shadow of failure creeping up on me.

 

That was around the time I stumbled upon this random cookbook on my desk, *The Food Lab*. I know, right? A cookbook. But as I flipped through it, something clicked. Cooking, just like investing, is all about timing. You can’t rush good food. If you crank the heat too high, you’ll burn everything. And that’s what I’d done with my investments. I had tried to “cook” my profits too quickly. The lesson was clear: patience and precision won the game.

 

Feeling a little wiser, I shifted my focus. I started looking into bonds and commodities. People said bonds were safer, and after the stock market rollercoaster, I was craving something stable. Investing in bonds felt like floating in a peaceful lake. They didn’t bring the same adrenaline rush, but they didn’t give me heart palpitations either. No surprises.

 

But, like anything stable, it eventually got...boring. That’s when I started eyeing commodities—oil, gold, you name it. These were wild, unpredictable beasts. Oil prices would swing with global politics, gold would soar every time there was economic chaos. It was exciting. At first, I thought I’d cracked the code again. But, like always, after the thrill came the fall. One minute, I was up; the next, I was staring at losses. Commodities were just another cycle in disguise.

 

Jason’s voice came back to me again. “Remember the cycles. People screw up the most when they forget about them.” This time, I wasn’t going to ignore him. He wasn’t just talking about investments. He was talking about life, about how everything—success, failure, relationships—follows a rhythm. The same greed and excitement that fuel bubbles in the market are what trip people up in life. We forget that things can’t just keep going up. The bubble always bursts.

 

I realized something even deeper while reading another book, *365 Words of Wisdom for Adults*. Just like investments, even conversations and relationships have their own cycles. Say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and you’ve messed up big. Speak when you’re supposed to listen? Disaster. It all comes down to timing—whether it’s stocks, gold, or just talking to a friend. I had ignored timing, and it had cost me.

 

Now, I’m back to looking at stock charts. But this time, I’m not anxious. I’m not getting carried away by every spike or every dip. Stocks, bonds, commodities—I’ve seen them all rise and fall. I’ve been up and I’ve been down, and now I understand one thing: everything has a cycle. Sometimes you’re on top, and sometimes you’re at rock bottom. The key is to ride it out, to understand the rhythm, and be ready for what comes next.

 

Jason’s advice now rings truer than ever: “The biggest opportunities come when people forget the cycles.” I’m not forgetting them anymore. I’m ready, not just for the stock market, but for life. After all, it’s all just one big wave—you’ve just got to learn to surf it.

 

 

Reflections at Sunset

 

#ref.:

https://sosohantry.tistory.com/entry/Book-투자에-대한-생각-주기에-주의를-기울여라

Book) 투자에 대한 생각 - 주기에 주의를 기울여라