Time to give back..Long read, but don’t be scared to read it!!

So I stopped putting into my 457B (US retirement for public safety- I work as a firefighter/paramedic) for the past 15 months and have put into crypto since that time. I have made very minimal trades/swaps/moves. Most of what I have done has just been buying and holding. Last April saw an increase in all of my investments, and I have spread my wings on a few investments, but have been relatively steady in the same coins.

I have been through the rollercoaster of checking my assets every 5 minutes down to I haven’t looked at them in a week. I have my 457 (which allows me to take that money when I retire if I choose to do so, at no penalty because I am public safety) my pension (County Government) and another “bonus retirement” that I get a supplemental retirement for staying 3 years past my retirement.

I feel that I am VERY, VERY fortunate to have these things in my life and have treated crypto as a casino (as it should be at this point).

I feel like I should give back from my crypto since it’s available to me and it’s been more than a year since I have bought (US taxes are less after 1 year). Not saying I am selling everything, but I am still working, my wife works, and I came from straight up blue collar life. My Pops was a coal miner, then construction.. my mom was a secretary for a Union and had phenomenal benefits because of that.

My folks always said if u found a job that u didn’t have to worry about being laid off work, had health benefits, and if u were lucky enough to have retirement, you had won the game of work…..That being said… my Pops told me “Son, I don’t care if u pick up trash 7 days a week…u do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life.” I joined the Fire Dept at 16, EMT at 18, Paramedic at 20, and have never worked a day in my life.

My folks told me how important college was, but neither went to a formal college, had a degree, or could help me financially to go to college.

My volunteer FD paid for me to to go college to get my paramedic degree, and I had to sign a contract to not only pass my exam, but run X amount of calls for X amount of years. I ran double the amount of calls for double the years because I loved it so much.

Which brings me to what I am here on the thread about. I am taking $2,500 to give to my old FD (haven’t volunteered there in 15 years) for a scholarship for somebody coming up like me. I am also giving $1,000 to a local Vet group for Veterans to prevent suicide. The guy that runs that worked with me in the FD and helps Vets now since he was a Vet as well.

I ain’t rich…by any means…and I could still just hold and let my investments grow… but I ain’t scared to spread a bit of the good I have been fortunate enough to have. All these folks that say “hold, hold, hold” …that’s cool, but I wanna see some good come from my crypto..something I am able to take out (even in these small amounts) I hope to make these donations each year… and hopefully make them in higher amounts. I ain’t asking for help, or money, or anything like that… just saying, realize u can’t take it all with u and maybe help somebody else out if u are able. Never seen a UHaul behind a hearse!!! Just sayin!! Good luck to all!!