I think the best way to deal with fitting in is to be yourself. It sounds hard, but in the end, it's much easier than pretending to be something you're not.
So... this is not a "finger-pointing" post. Think of it more as a "something to think about".
I often think about running. Might sound silly, but the last time I did run was many years before my Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. More than just the, "You are getting older, so things won't work as they used to" mindset... I was in the U.S. Army for a few years, and for any of you that have been in the military, you know how physically demanding it is. Fast forward to now... I am lucky to be able to walk from the kitchen to the front room. I have had to find a "happy medium" in how I do things; I know I have to be careful and pay attention to "how" I am walking. I refuse to give up and let this condition change me. There are so many people that depend on me... in life, as well as here, on the blockchain. I had to come to terms with the fact that I had an incurable disease. I have a cane now... a disability placard for parking... but I will never give up and never have I pretended to be something I am not...
I was working on creating a series of posts for the Shadow Hunters Community back on our other platform... The mindset was... "Don't let your limitations make you a shadow of your former self". But due to an MS flare-up, I was never able to continue or complete this series. So I scrapped the idea and left the photos in my "Shadows" folder. This photo was previously used in a post by the way, but it's still relevant for this post; using a cane to walk to the mailbox, didn't make me something that I wasn't. Pride is something we all have... usually gets hurt way before the physical pains we have... but it lets me do things I used to. This brings me closer to the mindset of my post... What are you trying to say, Wes? Read on...
Hi, this is Ryan with Marnie, and let us tell you about our story on how Marnie helped to overcome one of the darkest times in my life. It has been hard for all of us being locked up at home for almost two years now. Life has indeed changed and during these times everyone should look after one another. Let me tell you about our tale this afternoon.
You may remember him as @watersnake101 on the blockchain... he is using his wife's account now, and the above quote, is from a recent post he shared with us. I know several people that deal with depression... some family, some friends in life, as well as here, on the blockchain. Ryan switched phones and lost access to his main account. So, he uses his wife account now, to post his positive energy and life's journeys with us. If you don't know him yet... or haven't had the pleasure of reading one of his posts. For goodness sake, please do go and give his blog page a visit. Here's the link to that recent post, by the way:
Wes... what's the point? Well... Ryan was transparent about what happened. He didn't try to take advantage of the "system" by pretending to be something he wasn't. Taking advantage of the "rewards pool" as we call it on the blockchain. But he didn't... can I get an Amen?
Out Of Focus...
I've had the opportunity to take some beautiful photographs in our front yard... The photo above was actually supposed to be a photo of the sunset. But... happy accidents, as Bob Ross used to say, it ended up being all about that tree bark. To be honest, it was a combination of improper focus, combined with a brief loss of feeling in my legs, thanks to my MS. Never did I claim to be a professional photographer! Because... that would mean I was what? Yes... pretending to be something that I wasn't! Like the title, I gave to my photo above... sometimes we can become "out of focus". Like my situation... due to my Multiple Sclerosis. But sadly, as we all know, sometimes greed and money become the "focus", which makes some lose their focus. Is that an oxymoron? No... redundancy? Nah... I'm not an English Major either... won't pretend to be that! So, as you can see... the focus of my post could be taken differently, by many different people.
We continue to have all kinds of new folks joining the blockchain, and we have had the pleasure of meeting many of them at @theterminal. As we begin to help people, we also learn a little bit about them. I can't lie... there are times when we meet people who are only after one thing... money. That's not a bad thing... we all want to be able to take care of ourselves. Provide for our families, or for those who are single, maybe buy that car you've always wanted. But it's like I have said, time and time again...
It's not the situation, it's how you handle it...
Transparency is one of the things I think sets the blockchain apart from other social media places (no need to state the names... we know them) and I don't think everyone understands this notion; every little thing you do, from posting a blog to upvoting, to... making 12 accounts and pretending to be different people (I digress)... yep, it's all there to be seen. Sure, you might get away with it for a little while. But why would you even do that, to begin with? This brings one more thing to mind... stay with me here, my friends...
A Balance of Privacy and Transparency
There are always exceptions... I understand about being private. Even my account name is a pseudonym, though Wes is my real first name. So you might be thinking; if you aren't giving your real information, that is pretending to be something your not... right? I don't think so; this would probably be the part where everyone would just have to agree to disagree. I am not one to start, nor do I care for... confrontations. It would serve no purpose for me to call out specific accounts that I know are pretending to be something they aren't... That's why we have HiveWatchers... Sure, this post could be specifically about people taking advantage of the blockchain... which many are. But I tried to present it in a different light. But back to the above image... CamLara.
I shared the awesomesauce of @watersnake101or @mhel with you above. But as I was working on this post, I learned of the situation with a dear friend of theirs... @camlara. I am going to share the story with you but would encourage you to read the following post, to see just exactly what I am talking about.
https://peakd.com/hive-109288/@camlara/camlara--reaching-out-to-a-friend-in-need
Here is an excerpt from that post:
"Hi, this is @mhel and also formerly known as watersnake101. But today this is not about but about a friend. I figured that this is the best way to introduce someone to the community and share his story.
Last Wednesday while I was working from home, a friend and colleague from work sent me a message. He told me that they were doing a medical fundraiser to help out our common friend named Cam. It has been a while since I last spoke with Cam. FB is one way to see how your friends are doing but I stopped using FB for quite some time now except if I am looking for an item or sharing our YT channel. In short, I had no idea what was going on in people's lives. Not that I don't want to know how my friends are doing but FB has been stressful for me and has been a trigger to my anxiety."
I can completely understand someone not wanting to share their face let alone the situation they are going through. But in this situation, they sure weren't pretending to be something they weren't. If you feel compelled to help out here, I know it would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure a positive comment on the post would mean the world to them...
I am going to be setting @camlara's account as 50% Beneficiary on this post. Hope you can understand the meaning behind this post... with everyone in the world trying to find out what they are going to do... What's going to happen next... What to name the next variant... I digress. Hope you are all still hanging in there? Anything new that you've heard about? If you are still reading at this point, I thank you for your time! I see all those wonderful Thoughtful Daily Posts being shared... and I am not ignoring you! My Multiple Sclerosis is still trying to be in charge, but I appreciate everyone's continued interaction with my community and TAG! So... better get this published... And of course...
What are you thoughtful for, today?
👉Join the "Thoughtful Daily Post Community" Here
👉Follow the "Thoughtful Daily Post Badge" Here
A special "Thank You" to all these wonderful folks that have shown their invaluable support! Without you, there would be no Thoughtful Daily Post
I think that transparency is a good message. I make no secret of who I am or the fact that I'm chasing growth and income from the platform.
I think that the difference for me is that I want to do it the right way. By adding value to the ecosystem to get some back in return.
Helping others is a great way to add that value back and can create a knock on effect for the next user.
@niallon11
This is exactly right! We are all just pieces of the chain... if now of us is doing something that is of a negative value, it creates a weak link. Not trying to sound corny... but it really is the truth. Good to see you brother!
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Thanks for the support
@mhel
You are more than welcome! I was raised by women and my grandparents. Taught differently than many it seems. We are supposed to take care of each other when we can. Nothing but love and positive energy your way...
Have some !LUV and !hivebits
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To be honest, you have a beautiful way of correcting people with your post, it is very thoughtful and amazing to see, you did with me when and made a mistake, that was one of the most polite corrections i have seen. Amazing thoughts here also.
@gone-hive
Belittling people, or making a scene when someone needs help, serves no purpose. At the end of the day... yes; sometimes I see posts in my community, and I just pass them by. But I try my best to help promote a positive place to come and share feelings of thoughtfulness. Thank you for stopping by!
You are doing a great job @wesphilbin
Hello @wesphilbin Thank you for sharing my story and Cam's. You've made a very strong message here and I feel a bit embarrassed as an example 😄. Kidding aside thank you Wes and everyone from the @theterminal for all the support. Life is easier if you be yourself, not just here at hive but also with the people around you. People around you will love you for who you really are.
@mhel
No need for embarrassment, my friend! I believe in sharing positive examples when trying to make a point. And putting a "spotlight" on you was not meant to cause you to feel bad. It's like you said:
Have a good day today. my friend!
Amen my friend. Positive vibes and energy can defeat all those challenges and sorrow. We just need to be real. I am very honored to be set as your example.🙂
I see what you mean now @Wesphilbin.
↑Upvoted↑and←Reblogged→
@jerrytsuseer
Why thank you! I had to create some kind of silly "foreshadowing" lol... appreciate the upvote and reblog brother!
You're always welcome my friend
Word! All those years of running up to and sometimes over 100 miles a month adds up and takes a toll. I did an extra run daily and on the weekends to keep ahead of the game. I probably should have skipped that bit. 😂 My knees are in open rebellion against me now.
As for using a pseudonym, it's a good thing to do, until you get to know what people are all about. Then you can share some things. I don't need any people creeping up on my house and my kid from any online shenanigans. It wouldn't be a good situation.
Have a good day my friend. 😀
@inthenow
Exactly my point... Yes, I did end up doing videos on Appics back on the "other" blockchain... But as you said... you get to know people. Running... oh do I remember running. 5-minute miles in my highlight (before smoking took back over) but it is was called in Germany. Anyway... hey, thanks for stopping by brother. Hope you are having a good Monday!
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Thank you... and thanks to @bhattg for your support, and curation. Greatly appreciated... I know it will be too on behalf of @camlara
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As always, appreciate the support, and rehive!