Hi, my name is Randy Krafft. I'm 62 years old and semi-retired. I'm doing some part time work - and stay as busy as I want to be.
A friend of mine, Mike McDonald, known here as 
@worldclassplayer, started talking about Steemit months ago, and I signed up back in March to check it out. I poked my head in every now and then, reading various posts – and a portion of the FAQ - and this is my introductory post.
I've noticed that many refer to the Steemit community as Family, which is very cool, as I see all of humanity as one big family – sisters and brothers from different mothers is what we are... There is No One that's better than, or less than, anyone else... Big or small, short or tall, we're all basically the same – all connected by/with the Life substance that exists in all Life – yet each unique individuals with unique interests, talents and passions...
In addition to recommending Steemit, Mike (@worldclassplayer ) also has been sharing a lot about cryptocurrencies. I've always been kinda stingy with money – 'cause I've never had much – and don't have the money, or expertise, to invest in the stocks and bonds system in which I've come to have less and less confidence, so I was hesitant to even investigate this crypto arena – this alternative money... However, having known Mike for about 9 years, I know he's not a jump-on-the-bandwagon kinda guy – that he wouldn't have gotten himself involved if he hadn't thoroughly investigated it.
The more I looked at Steemit, the more I saw that there's a plethora of knowledge being shared here. So, the past couple of months I've been reading – a lot – to try to wrap my head around what blockchain and cryptocurrency is/means. And, based on this new knowledge, it seemed that the time is NOW, and made the decision to take part of the money I do have, and put it into a few cryptocurrencies. Taking baby steps, but am moving forward...
About 9 years ago, the company I worked for terminated their pension plan, and my partner and I decided to take the cash payout and bought a little piece of land (5 acres – which is about 2 hectares) out in the country. It's close enough where I could still commute but, out of the mayhem of the city. I saw this as my retirement project...
Three years after my partner was diagnosed with cancer, she passed away May 2016, so now it's just me, 3 dogs, 2 goats, 6 hens and a rooster at the moment. I've been looking at sustainable options and would like to eventually be self-sufficient, and am interested in – and have considered - a variety of options for replacing my humble abode – earthship, shipping containers, and straw bale or cord wood construction, along with capturing solar and wind energy.
I enjoy camping, cooking and gardening, recently completed a beekeeping class, and am on a waiting list to get bees. I'm also convinced that Self-forgiveness is the key to self-change – to face and change those habitual patterns of behavior that we develop and adopt over the course of our lives, sometimes without considering or questioning Why... And, what's really cool, is that I've found articles/posts here on Steemit regarding on almost every interest I have...
While I'm just a newbie - rather, minnow - I see the Steemit Platform as sort of a grass roots movement toward global change. Sure, there's the potential to make some money but, that's a bonus. This is a global community - people from all over the world communicating and sharing ideas, knowledge and information for the benefit of everyone...
We can create a world where all decisions are made based on what's Best for All – a world where All are treated as equals and everyone can live a dignified life and reach their utmost potential...
Happy to be Here.
Thanks for reading...
