When I analyze how much my life has changed since I wrote my Introduction Post in July of 2016 (to my surprise it made $489.62) it’s difficult to fathom I’ve only been on this platform for two years.
Steemit has been like a warp-drive which catapulted me directly to my dreams and helped me realize each and every one of them (and many more.) I feel like I’ve actively taken part in something that will be viewed as truly historical.
The chart above maps out my Steemit experience more accurately than anything I could imagine. The amazing height of that first curve coincides with the euphoria of the original SteemFest in Amsterdam. The gut-wrenching low of the first valley on the chart represents the long, cold winter of 2016/2017. If you were around then you remember when the price of Steem plummeted to $.06 USD sparking an exodus of “first wavers” from the platform. I kept writing and posting through it all and I’m so glad I did. Today, I find myself landing somewhere between Hope and Relief.
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius
That first year I posted twice per day, pretty religiously. In my second year my posts slowed to one every few days, tapering down to about once per week as of late. This isn’t because I’m losing interested but now there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Even if I can’t write every day I try to spend time curating and commenting on other’s posts.
The past two trips around the sun with you all have been such an unforgettable experience. I’ve made new friends, been pushed way outside of my comfort zone, been taught some good (and sometimes harsh) lessons, learned about and have become a huge proponent of cryptocurrency and distributed ledger technology.
My wife and I recently bought a condo. As often is the case when moving I was weeding through things I wanted to keep and things I was ready to part with. I found all of the memorabilia I had tucked away from both SteemFests, looking through it all sparked a flood of memories. I remember looking down at my wrist at the blue SteemFest wristband while climbing the ladder of the tower of Oude Kerk in Amsterdam.
As I slid on the Steemit ring, with the name of my novel and username engraved inside it and I was reminded of how exciting it was to post a new installment of Alarm Clock Dawn every day.
More valuable than all of the Steemit swag and overseas travel have been the friendships and the connections I’ve made throughout these past few years. These relationships have made some wonderful collaborations possible, the results of which will reverberate for decades to come. The pinnacle of this, of course, is The HardFork Series.
As with anything in life it’s easy to dwell on the negatives and the deficiencies. Push all of this aside and the truth remains...Steemit has, and continues to be, been both groundbreaking and life altering for many. My advice to those who are still establishing themselves here is twofold: 1) Find constructive ways to channel your energy into the platform to change those things you don't like; and 2.) Seek out ways in which you can collaborate with others to collectively change your lives for the better.
No matter where life takes me all roads will point back to this platform as the genesis of it all. I can’t thank you all enough for the support you’ve shown me, for this I’ll be forever indebted. I plan to continue sharing, curating, and offering support in any way I can.
Thanks to Steemit for being the catalyst that allowed me to do what I love!
Steem on!
Yours in the Chain,
Eric Vance Walton
(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)
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*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.
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