Traditionally, the above expression is associated with a Chinese curse, even though there seems to be no clear origin or matching expression in Chinese.
And it is a curse and not a blessing, because
the expression is normally used ironically, with the clear implication that "uninteresting times" of peace and tranquillity are more life-enhancing than interesting ones, which, from a historical perspective, usually include disorder and conflict.
Well, from the technological point of view, consensus protocols, especially in the blockchain sphere, are very interesting!
And I simply love being contemporary to them at their young age of tumult and... interesting times.
20 years from now, they might be everywhere, but they will also be much more boring.
Maybe that's why I find the periods around hardforks on Steem remarkable. Not the HF themselves, necessarily. But understanding the changes. Being able to adapt. Reacting to the unexpected. Exerting patience. Or on the contrary, being quick on action, and teaming up to discover and fix issues as soon as possible.
Yeah, these are interesting times I like to live. Of course, it's easier from the sidelines, than in the epicenter of changes at the time of a hardfork, if something goes south. But less exciting too!
In the end, hardforks will pass, whether 21 on Tuesday or 22 today (in about one hour at the time of writing this). Some of them - we will remember. Others not as much. But certainly it's more likely to remember a hardfork day than a regular day on Steem.
That doesn't mean I want a hardfork every week though. There's a time for interesting times and one for uninteresting ones. A balance is good, otherwise the curse will catch up with us. :P
All 20 top witnesses run version 22 now, so HF22 should happen as scheduled in almost an hour.