Who Are You?!

in #contest7 years ago (edited)

That is one of the hardest questions for me to answer. I have tried to answer it, and every time I do I come up with tens of answers. I am a non-writer that writes on steemit, a non-creative guy that creates. I am the handy boy who received the greatest shock of his life literally when at the age of 7 I tried plugging my mom's blender to a socket using the spokes of my bike as a helper. All I wanted then was to impress my mom and thereby be given the "job" of cleaning the blender after mixing the cake with it.



unsplash.com

That is a job that everyone wants to be a part of the team handling it. I have given up in rendering such "help" which would put me in harm's way for a proposed benefit.

Every day I tried to be the best of Green, being Green hasn't been a walk in the park. Life is unfair, anyone who expects it to be fair had already set up himself for failing. I try not to compete with anybody I only compete with myself. This may sound easy but I assure you it is not. I am my own worst critic, so when others bring in their "acidic" criticism which is probably intended to get me down, I laugh. I laugh because I have already told myself a worse version of that.

Growing up, I have been fascinated with the idea of being a celebrated author. Even though, I was struggling with the English language, as it is not my first language. How can I be a celebrated author if I cannot write in English? Translation. Yeah, that is a possibility, I can write in my mother tongue and get translated in every language possible. Chinua Achebe did it in Things Fall Apart and had the single book translated into more than 50 languages.

My world class art😁

What topic/genre do I write on? Then, I checked and found virtually every topic I wanted to write on has been written by other well-known authors. How then do I become celebrated if all I am is a fraud that copies others works? Amidst all this turmoil, fate was just standing there with its all-knowing smile cooking up a twist that would make sure I never write.

Then there was steemit, suddenly I, a nonwriter that writes can now write and be rewarded for it! Sometimes real life can be stranger than fiction. So, my happiness was beyond compare when I saw that you can write here and people would get to see it. I do enjoy the mundane things of life: watching the sunset, knowing somewhere in the world someone would pay a $1m to see the sun. But they can't because they are blind. I am weird, oh yeah! Tell me what I don't already know!

I love DIY, I can spend $10 to do a DIY of $5, most people from my country may call me that typical pennywise pound foolish guy. But the joy I derive in doing it just about pays for the other $5. After all, my Dad used to say that there is joy in madness which only the madman knows.

This is an entry into for the Steemit's Untalented Contests by @surpassinggoogle where every contestant is a winner. The offer is just too irresistible to be ignored or passed up.

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... and then there was steemit... it brought us all together, non bloggers started blogging, non creators started creating, non writers started writing, story telling became monitized, reading started fetching money, commenting became earning... it happened to us all, steemit happened to us all

You are 100% right. I think that's why steemit is the best social media platform for everyone that wants to show the world what he or she could do or accomplish without much fear of being ridiculed. Thank you.

yeah, there is nowhere on the internet where we can actually be our real selves. I think that is because of the way Dan is.....and he's the architect of Steem engine. Dan is one of those special people who is not into grandiose, fake stuff....so it's the reason we can be ourselves on here, free of ridicule. I think on some level, some of us know that we are all in this together, because it's the only platform that is decentralized.

We have more real people on steemit than any other platform. Too many trolls in others. The noise just drowns out the good. Wondering why it took me so long to get to hear of it. Well, at least I'm here now. I know many others are yet to hear it. I'm trying to tell as many as I can.

The real people will find other real people to become friends with. There are trolls and lots of other who are lost, are doing scams, etc. but for the people who want something deeper, that exists......that's a rare thing that we can only find each other on here....Facebook is a walled garden, and it's hard to find the humanity in it. It's still an odd thing, considering it feels like everyone is on Facebook, but we can never find each other on that platform!

This looks like a good story.. The Walled Garden. Epic tale. The restrictions even make finding your own brother there very difficult. I guess because it was there before steemit, that made it have all the crowd. Had Steemit made it before Facebook, Facebook would've ended up being MySpace :)

People that have decided to engage in scam gave taken a path of destruction and are doomed for it except they turn a new leave. Feeding off another man's sweat. Not cool

I can only say a big thanks to Dan for giving us this plathform. Expressing ourselves has never been easier... We are in this together and we ain't going nowhere else!

You're welcome Sir.
Really enjoyed reading this post and your resteemed post from @churchboy.
Steem on!

Oh, I like the post by @churchboy. Our culture is very important to us, the people. Going by my grandmother's favorite quote, "Those who don't know where the rain started beating them may never know when it stops beating them." We really need to know our culture to be able to know who we are as a person. I just checked the post and saw you are a person who likes culture too. That's awesome. Steem on✌️

The post was spot on!
When next i get to my village, i will take out time to find out more about the Osu thing in this contemporary age.

That won't be a bad idea. It's good to know such things

Yeah Bro... Thanks for your time and the insightful comments!

I told you and @prettycynthia once: "the best writers aren't writers". You are finding out partly what i meant, by yourself.

I never read books in reality, when it comes to writing stuff. I don't know any of the books i have seen you mention. And when people rhyme their stuff to make poems, i went teoms with t being terry and beauty came out in the form of bizarreness. It is more about the things you can see that even the world can't. So when people go scolding a kid for always wearing their flip flops wrongly, i saw instead beautiful intelligence in that, the kids tend to do the wrong act correctly every time. While people were busy going for the fallen mango everytime, a select few picked up on the study of gravity. Your edge is in your substance. If that grows, you will be writer anyways regardless of language without barriers to entry. I use the example of a may weather and a mohammed ali, both boxers but one is on another level and may weather won't doubt it. Look at a mourinho in his presence and perhaps, a wenger and you will instantly see stark difference and if they have to compete even in writing, i am sure one will stand out over the other, not cos they where writers. As for being your nemesis, you can channel that into advantageousness and bring yourself into world-classness. Look for your edge and hone that and if i speak to you in one solid conversation, i can tell you your edge. "green run already says alot" and that is why i added "drawing your username" into the curriculum of the contest. And i apply your username into the stunts of my tiny convo with you to help you see new ways to play. Thank you for participating. You may not know how much you have learned but i try to pass so much to you in my small comment. Substance when it becomes substance isn't easily swayed. So if twas me, even if everyone says, you are ripe terry, write a book doesn't mean i may write a book, for i may go another route. I thought i was writer. I would sway everyone with my tiny text messages and handwritten letter. i was writing will you marry me proposals and these wives will say yes but i wasn't writer afterall. And you may not be writer either. Now, you may be a writer but pace things. So you doubting mind can be put to good use too. Read this comment closely, understand its concepts and context; look at it, more as life info and you will grasp.

This is deep. The more you look, the more you see. I understand what you mean. It even surprises me that I do get what you mean. That being said, I think I missed the part of the contest requiring drawing a username. But truth be told I've lost my gift of drawing. Used to be pretty good growing up. Somewhere in my teens the gift went poof! My attention to details may be the death of me :)

So fast. The draw part can be bizarre too. More fun. More exploration

I'll give it a shot now :)

Hahaha.

Updated. Hehehe

You are one of a kind @greenrun... I met a lot of young nigerian guys in the neighborhood in Apapa, Lagos when we lived there as expats... They were funny and a lot of times very helpful and always smiling. You may never know what´s inside their minds and seldom did I encounter someone who wasn´t smiling. Despite the hardships in those days under Martial Law (mid 80´s), they still had their dreams. You should live your dreams and follow your instincts, a writer to be or not, you are still young and whatever the outcome will be, I know you´ll make those dreams come true. Am crossing my fingers!

Thank you. Nigerians are very cool, happy people contrary to what most media would like you to believe. But I'm glad you've been there and witnessed it first hand. Sometimes the only way out of a lot of things not working right is happiness. You can lose everything but try not to lose that sense of humor. Thanks for dropping by. I appreciate it.

This is really an insightful comment. Over time my improvement has come from some of the comments like this. I even marvelled at how much i am doing on this space which is different from my formal development all along. Thanks.

Yes. Steemit in reality is designed to help you find yourself. You may not be a chemist afterall. Maybe you are suppose to be creating recipes for everlasting burritos. Who knows.

Or taking care of animals. Hahahahaha

I think the right words are; when others are trying so hard to tell tales in pleasing patterns and put poems in rhymes and rhythm,

You just reach out the the scrapy thought of what the world is to you, and the madness forms beauty when written down.

@surpassinggoggle trust me, i grasped.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being so supportive of @greenrun, and all people on steemit. We need to clone about 2000 of you then there would be no bad karma of any kind on steemit.

I see people against cloning coming for you :)
Thank you.

Real talk about the clone part. You are welcome.

You're a shining star bro. Keep on shining. Steemit has given you the light.

Thanks. You are far too kind. The camaraderie here is second to none. You guys are really doing it right. I'm humbled by the kind words. Thank you.

Excellent delivery as ever you should definitely write a book , dosnt have to be something too serious or intense , just do it the same way you delivered this post effortlessly, I will buy !!

Cheers mate!

Wow. This is surreal. For real? Thank you.

You're one of the best I have seen here my brother. Keep motivating us Evergreen

I get motivated by others, never knew I have it in me to motivate others. Thank you.

Damn, this was good! I could relate to almost all of it, and the one thing that is identical thoughts to me is:

I am my own worst critic, so when others bring in their "acidic" criticism which is probably intended to get me down, I laugh. I laugh because I have already told myself a worse version of that.

Yeah, I know this pretty well! If you ever decided you want to write a book and get it into Amazon, well, I can help you with that. It's actually easier than you think. The hardest part is liking your own writing enough to feel that it deserves to be purchasable by others.......

The hardest part is liking your own writing enough to feel that it deserves to be purchasable by others.......

This part kills me. I start most post and never finished it due to deeming it not steemit-worthy. How can I now write for Amazon when most of work are stopped before I even begin? I am trying to go easy on myself so I can at least write the little I can. I'll surely take up your kind offer if I could stop beating myself up long enough to write something that has a semblance of being "purchasable". Thank you for your most kind contribution and support. It means the world to me. Thank you.

You almost have a complete book on steemit @greenrun. I think i mentioned it in a previous post about a collection of your short stories, with a catchy name and you could be the next semi big thing. Pre release story should definitely be Eunuch, that will pull people in and want to read more. I am sure you have enough "little" stories to make a big book with a few different chapter sections. Just promise when you get big you won't forget us little guys, the ones that like to read.

The last paragraph made me very happy and I type this with a smile. There is no way I would forget steemit and all my awesome friends here if I made it bigger. You guys are like family, people from where I'm from, never abandons family. Thanks for the encouragement and support. I appreciate it.

I think you should really consider writing a book. It's precisely because you have no preconceived ideas about being a "writer" that makes your writing good. I wrote my book and got it self-published in Amazon for about $50. The only cost was purchasing the e-book formatting program. I did everything manually.....

I also think you should consider writing some books on motivation. I can remember that very midnight I first come across your post on this platform, its was strange because I don't open my system that time so I had to go to your timeline to read more of your post.

What I appreciate most was when I read this particular post The meaning of steem, it gives me courage and true orientation of this platform.

Thanks for this comment "I started 4 businesses and failed at all them. I instantly gave up. Then I found Altucher who writes. I realized I don't have to start a business. My ideas are my "business". It gives me strength.

thanks for that insight. I do think I understand how to turn one's tragedies into something lucrative. Thinking creatively is probably the most important thing in life, but no teacher teaches that. Maybe a book titled, "My Ideas are My 'Business'?

Thanks for giving us a believing spirit.

True, he is a great writer!

Thanks again. You are far too kind.

I am now seriously considering it. Before it seemed so far fetched, but looking at the way things are , it's no longer that far fetched. When I do, you are one of those that made it happen. Thank you.

After a lot of research, I ended up using https://pressbooks.com/
It is the easiest ebook formatting program.

I've bookmarked this for future use. Thank you.

Me too have bookmarked for perhaps future use. Thanks so much @stellabelle.

Nice writing @greenrun

Thanks a lot.

U are welcome @greenrun
Don't forget To view my blog

Just write a book, i will buy but pls let it be cheap😥.. Such a lovely post... I could relate with being the worst critic of myself! Nice one .

Thanks a lot the sweetest person on steemit. Keep hope alive. Keep steeming ✌️

You are 100% right!
I sincerely think you should write a book as well!
This is impressive.

Thank you. Let's see what the future gives. I appreciate your dropping by.

You are welcome

You're such a young girl, I love the way you write, your message reaches the addressee.

Hi, thank you for dropping by, the picture you see on the article was from a free image site, unsplash.com. That is not me. I'm a male by the way. I'm glad you like the article. I appreciate you for stopping by. It means a lot to me when people respond to an article I wrote. Thank you.

jajaja Okay, I love your writing, keep going.
Greetings.

Thank you @samic. I appreciate your greetings.

After all, my Dad used to say that there is joy in madness which only the madman knows.

This is another ingenious word i have read today. And funny enough the mad man is genius in his madness. There is actually no loser.

In the game there is no loser. Best game to be involved in.

Life is not a bed of rose where you sit down, sleep and be expecting someone to just bring you food to eat. If you are not on your toes it will fuck you up real bad because life itself do not want anyone on it to succeed.
Thats an eye opener for us all that we need to put in more effort and be the best in whatever we know how to do even if its rubbish, put in your best and who even tell you that what you call rubbish is even rubbish.

Dirtiness is a great oppotunity for mr/mrs soap to make exploit and be usefull @surpassinggoogle

You've got the message. Do your thing. That's what matters. Thank you for dropping by

Exactly..welcome bro

Steem on.

Before steemit it was Facebook and it was just basically write anything that comes to my mind. Most times i dont think. But now that there is steemit and i know there is going to be a consumer for my products(posts) then i do a lot of thinking b4 writing. Over the past two months, i have been able to develop myself more. Steemit helps you discover who you are and with the contest @surpassingoogle has initiated, i think Steemit finna be a breeze

This is the only platform i have seen men do wonders with words and still claim not to be what the world would typically call writers.

I think the reason is simple. Writers, or rather people here pour out themselves to tye world the way it is being pricked at heart. Without any remorse, no shame.

Just the mind, the feelings and the hands writing out and unpuzzling tye whole demented demons that trouble us within.

Green, like i said in my comment to you, i refuse to be address as a genius. Even the title of a writer. Not when there are people here who have better cliams to it..

Hello @greenrun

I understand your blender experience, i once tired checking whether an electric boiler was heating the water by dipping my hand into the water. Got the greatest shock of my life.

I appreciate your watching the Sunlight, it reinforces the fact that the little things in life matters and if you don't get the little things right or appreciate it, you will never get the big things right.

And Bro you don't need to publish a book to be celebrated, your actions on this platform have already shown us that you are a Man of substance.

And just like you I criticize myself a lot, it prepares me for anything anyone else might say.

Steem On. The Future is Green.

@ogochukwu

Thanks a lot. The future is sure very green. We could only help it remain so by our collective efforts. I appreciate your stopping by in spite of your busy schedule. Thanks one more time.

Wow, I'm not entirely sure what's going on here but I do know I approve of it.

Interesting thoughts about the non-blogger blogging and non-writers writing. That is because Steemit is a teacher, not in the way a person in front of a blackboard is a teacher but in the way a long road through dreamlike territories is a teacher; a crucible where all the fire comes from within.

Guy, you dey make over-sense here, meeehn. Make I go somehow write my own 👍👌

Wow, I'm not entirely sure what's going on here but I do know I approve of it.

This is what we call going with the flow. Hehehe.

Seriously, you should write one and post. I'll like to see who you are. I always suspect you are a sort of alien. Lol

I think that the experiences and memories you have make you who you are.

You are absolutely correct. They make us who we are as a person. Imagine living with no memories and experiences of the past. That would be an empty living. Love your username :)

Great post bro......thnaks for sharing ,,,,upvoted

Thanks

most welcome my dear friend.......upvoted

beautiful greenrun!

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