A Thanksgiving letter to myself (and anyone else who wants to "listen")
This, my favorite holiday of the year, is a tribute to gratitude. Thank you, Silicon Investor.
I joined S.I. in December, 1996, a raw newcomer to investing in stocks, fresh from mutual funds. I held 3 individual stocks (Coca Cola, McDonalds, Sara Lee) because as Peter Lynch suggested I "knew" them.
My first ventures into semi-unknown were U.S. Robotics (I knew what a modem was) and North American Scientific (I didnt know much about prostrate troubles).From the sublime to the ridiculous perhaps with USRX about as hot as a stock could get, and NASI still a BB stock. The USRX thread was my first S.I. home, and what a kind, supportive group they were. I can't imagine a better place to start posting. They were like family, and ready to accept newcomers cheerily. (And often "off topic") USRX was a roller coaster up 8 down 7 in a single day type of stock.
I'm dramatic anyway and the drama of that stock's movement engaged my emotions which went up and down with the price. Through it all, steadier members of the thread supported and comforted me. I held that stock until the dreaded merger with 3Com.
Not so with NASI which would have been my first 10 bagger. Even after visiting the company's plant, and being very impressed with management and execution, I was not sure enough of it and got out one day before a large movement up. (How come its always the same day or next day that things I buy go down and things I sell go up?)
After that mistake, I took on short time buying of split candidates and pre-splitting stocks. That stumbled me onto the Dell Computer thread where the cheerleader Kemble urged me to hold not trade Dell (as did Tim Luke). The Dell thread became my cyber home. I had friendships,tutorials and even a one year romance there. I made every mistake new investors make, violently vacillating from joy to dispair and selling low only to buy back high! Through it all, my portfolio was somehow growing and I began to venture ino the world of MARGIN.
Through ensuing hope, dispair and excitement new S.I. friends counselled, cajoled and mentored me. There was always someone to teach me new slants of investing-Leaps, covered calls and selling puts. I learned about Brown & Co from other clients. I heard (still not sure I Learned) about emerging and changing technology from knowledgeable (and not so) people working in the industries or using the technology. I learned about valuation and 10 k's. When I emoted strongly, for every poster who said "that doesnt belong here" came 2 public and 3 or 4 private messages saying "Keep writing: I often feel like that too but can't express it". When I thought (and wrote) that being female predisposed me to acting emotionally in stocks, males wrote and assured me they went through that too.
Now I think I have an investment style and strategy that works (Gorilla investing, based on the book "Gorilla Game" by Moore) and aided by the Gorilla and King thread here at S.I.
To all who post and all who lurk: thank you! To everyone who helped and help me..thank you!. To all the friends I've made here-thank you. I even thank the people who get annoyed: after all controversy makes the site more fun when you get down to it.
And to Brad, Jeff and Jill- a gigantic thank you for making all this possible with your vision and carry through in entreprenauring, as our t shirts say, www.techstocks.com
Happy Thanksgiving to all:
Freeus |
