Hey hey, Hivers! 🙋♂️ It's been too long!
Taken on July 28th, 2024 after writing this post, coming at you from small town Missouri, USA 😎
I suddenly realized how much I missed the creativity and engagement I found in this community. It brought out the best in me, eventually elevating my professional life to new heights and earning a career that I couldn't have imagined when this web3 journey started some nine years ago.
Maybe there's a wave of nostalgia going around, but even with a quick glance around, I've seen others reappearing who seem to have been gone for some time as well. What's the deal with that?
For me, Hive was a creative springboard. The empowerment of monetized creative writing and sharing opened my eyes to an entire world. I began to believe in web3 platforms as a way for people to work for themselves, converting their time and energy into not necessarily a living, but something. As soon as I learned to squash the expectations of getting something for nothing, it turned into a living.
Now as an experienced web3 creator, I've seen plenty of people on both sides of this realization: It's not about what web3 can do for you - It's about what you can do for web3. Before that realization, people tend to get burned and jaded. After it, they build and grow, accumulating valuable experiences and making connections that if properly nurtured, can last a lifetime.
This blockchain reminded me how to work hard toward goals that were important to me, and my family is still enjoying the fruits of that hard work.
I’m ridiculously grateful for this community and all the amazing people I’ve met along the way.
This is me from around the time I started blogging on Steemit - I had the moves 🕺
Steem
When I look back at the journey, I'm still thinking of Steem in the days of watching awesome videos from @suppoman and @jerrybanfield, who (among others) helped educate a naive pot-smoker into the world of cryptocurrency. 👏
Heading to a roaring twenties party in Crestone, circa 2015
Steemit Open Mic
I wrote dozens of songs for Steemit Open Mic. While I was hoping at the time for a few dollars in upvote value, I ended up with a catalog of original music (mostly comedy) that surprises me and delights listeners whenever I pull it out for some nostalgic laughs. @carrieallen was kind enough to keep my chord sheets organized, and while I rarely remember exactly how the songs went, I can stumble through them with ease.
I never considered myself a songwriter, but I do now. @meno even graciously hooked me up with a sweet acoustic guitar so I wouldn’t have to keep strumming a ukulele. 👐 You rock, sir. These days I'm jamming on a sexy rosewood Taylor GS-Mini-e. 🎸
The Playhouse
Carrie and I used to host radio shows on Discord. She was more into it than I was, but we had an absolute blast performing radio comedy sketches with members of the audience (bravely cold reading). To this day, the song “5000 Candles in the Wind” from Parks and Recreation has a special place in my heart as the closing song for our weekly Saturday night show.
There are some recorded episodes out there somewhere, but the sound quality sucks 😅
Shoutout to Playhouse regulars @sircork, @paintingangels, @enginewitty, @r0nd0n and @littlescribe. 😎
Splinterlands
This game straight up changed my life. Before the updates got away from me, I battled more than 25k times. My collection is huge and I’m as bullish as ever on this amazing game. @aggroed and @yabapmatt took a chance on my strange creativity and gave me a job writing content and I’m proud to say I played a substantial part in the creation of the game’s early lore and first editions of cards.
I have nothing but good things to say about Steem Monsters/@splinterlands, the original legends of web3 gaming. I hope to get back in the game soon if I can find the time to catch up on all the updates.
I loved making Splinterlands content! Shout out to @reseller for the awesome early print cards!
Here’s to the Future
With so many awesome memories alive and well on this blockchain (that’s the beauty of blockchain after all), I’m tempted to regret being away for the last three years.
I’m still extremely full time as Gala’s Written Content lead, writing articles, press releases, emails, ad copy and web copy like there’s no tomorrow. But in the meantime, I hope to spend more time sharing little bits and pieces of myself with this community once again.
I miss writing songs and poems. I miss telling stories.
Hive was the place where my creativity found a home once upon a time. Coming back after more than three years, I’m happy to see that through the power of blockchain, everything is exactly as I left it. Still, somehow I see a blank slate and unlimited potential. I see stories waiting to be told and I hear songs that haven’t been sung yet.
Anyway, Hivers… I’m glad to be back. Thanks for all the memories.
I think I’ll do this more often. ♥
God is good!
I didn't realise how much I missed Carrie's lovely smile until I saw it again :)
You're alright too. Also yes, yes he is.
Hey Matt! Good to see you still hangin around! So good to be back. I just resurfaced yesterday and now I'm finding this!
Hey punk :)
LOL. Gimme the summary - you still splintering, posting, doing legos? What's up in your hemisphere these days?
I don't really blog any more. I've said most of what I wanted to get out of me; and don't want to just be noise.
My big motivator early, was wanting my kids to know who I was, in case I died while they were young. They're much bigger now, so I just keep an eye on the place. Upvote and comment on stuff every couple of days.
Still very much into Splinterlands. Price action hasn't been great for both Hive or Splinterlands, but I'm not here to make money. I'm here to avoid it :)
The ever-loving, quality dude. Luvs ya for all of that. Hope the kids are well. That is the important focus right there. I have a similar one with mine. They grow up goddamn fast. The #1 thing I want them to know is they are supported and hardcore loved. In case I died young as well.
I think I'll start back into blogging though. Got some new breath in the lungs. Need to do some squawking and shilling I think.
THIS IS GETTING WEIRD.
@littlescribe. is back. @rhondak is back. Im back. @crimsonclad resurfaced after a year. Long time leavers are coming back to be pleasers and its frigging exhilarating!
@enginewitty and I started a new witness called @pollenation - hope you'll check out the posts on its feed about all that!
SO GOOD TO SEE THAT HAIRY FACE!
We're almost gunna need to do another beep-boop episode....for old time's sake.
Beam me aboard, I wish to be on that team for sure and the discord for it still exists, it just has the wrong cryptocurrency in it's name. :)
I still have that server on my discord as well. LOL. Carrie and Chris kept up a good gig there for awhile. Always did admire their stick-to-it-edness. Kudos to them both. So super talented. And you as well. I will forever be in your very tall shadows of greatness.
Oh my gosh, VERY weird!!! But awesome weird. Chris Roberts, I remember you from back when! I've listened to your radio show many times.
Space Carrieeeeeeeeeeeeee ! To absurdity AND BEYOND!
What the hell is going on!!! It's the twilight zone for sure.
it a lot of us, I've seen some long dormant accounts come back alive this week, a LOT of them, not just a couple. It's really, really strange because I can't find a specific catalyst for this sudden surge in activity. But I LIKE it, I like it a lot.
It's not like I stumbled on some kind of catalyst either. Literally, it makes me wonder if there is some sort of shared consciousness or something. Prolly is.
That's what @rhondak called it, the collective conscience.
But I beg to differ. If it's one thing the folks on this platform have always gleefully shared, it's a lack of conscience. :P Juuuustkiddding.... sorta.
How about a collective conscious-ness? The hive gods got bored and beckoned us to return. So we heard the cranning call.
a collective conscious-mess more like.
This is so fuckin nuts. I JUST came back here after being away for 3 years as well. Literally just made a post yesterday. There's a bunch of OG's making their way back. Someone must have cast a spell or something. Super weird.
Right???!!!!!??
what a cool surprise to se you posting brother! A big hug at a distance!
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