I opened my account and wrote my introduce yourself post.
I'd wanted to develop my blogging; a friend had told me about steemit.com about a year previously, when he had joined. I had kept it in the back of my mind, along with various conversations I had had about the blockchain.
The previous July I had been made redundant. It took a while to re-orient myself: it wasn't only about putting in place an alternative income, it was also about what did I want to do with myself. I had just spent seven years working full-time, building something that really was to no avail in that particular configuration. The premise behind it was flawed, and I had compounded that by my romantic notions about working collectively.
It was the second time I had been made redundant in those seven years. I was weary of trying to work with the public sector. True, they had been hit terribly by this Government's dreadful austerity policies, but the irrational nonsense about "commissioning" had been going on for so much longer and everyone, councillors and officers alike, were bound up in it, no matter how poorly it met the needs of local people, or the resources it wasted.
I hadn't meant to do that job. I'd wanted to move back to London and I'd taken a low key development officer job that I knew I could do without really thinking about it while I made the transition and started to develop my networks. In no time at all, though, I was asked to be a senior manager, and later, to run an organisation. I got distracted.
The last time I was made redundant, I decided that I wasn't going to work full-time again, for anyone. I spent a year putting in place alternative sources of income and, about half way through last year, I decided it was time to start developing my writing. I was especially interested in long form narrative non-fiction - real stories, told like a story.
It was also time, I thought, to learn about the blockchain. I'd been happily throwing it around funding applications, based on a few conversations I had had at @tuttleclub, and I probably knew more about it than the people I was talking to, but really, I needed to understand it properly.
I was overwhelmed when I joined. How was I going to find my way through all the posts on the new and trending pages. I don't remember being terribly caught up about earning anything: it was more about finding my way around the technology. I found my old friend, a person who has been coming in and out of my life for many years now. Sometimes our respective flows bring us close together and sometimes we are far apart.
But now, I sat close by and watched what was going on. Eventually, I found a few people through the comments that interested me; I searched tags for people who might be near and I tried out posting and commenting myself. But mostly, I read. It seemed to me that voting was really important - even if you didn't do anything else.
Somehow or another, I came across #needleworkmonday. I think, possibly, @crystalize posted a comment on one of my knitting posts. What a revelation! I have enjoyed it so much, and learned so much. Then there was @runningproject. I'm not sure why these kept turning up in my feed, but I was caught by the twelve week 5k training programme for beginners. Why not, I thought?
Both of these have provided a focus for things I'm interested in. There are many others - music, nature and the environment, art, photography, books, travel, philosophy - so many, I feel I've hardly started exploring. And I've started to learn about the blockchain and cryptocurrencies - not just the technicalities of how it works, but the considerations and implications. I love the discussions.
But there have been unexpected pleasures - discovering #marketfriday and #treetuesday, what great ideas - the #walkwithme posts introducing me to places far and wide. Lovely. And then those random connections that happen sometimes, across time and place, where suddenly you are in tune with someone, some experience they are having, some thought or feeling. Laughter, humour, tenderness.
We talk about the knowledge, the sharing, the network capital, the pros and cons of how to build a collective community. But no one mentions how you will be touched by the wonder experienced by a new father, or the hope it brings.
I'm taking a break in August. Some of it will be holiday and all of it will be about attending to other things I want to do. But I've enjoyed this year: I have found myself waking up happy.
Here is to our joint endeavour. Steem on.
p.s. it is really hard to get the voting power back to 100% isn't it once you have exceeded the 80% threshold. Gosh, so many nice posts to vote for but not enough voting power!Happy Steemit anniversary @shanibeer! Thank you for sharing your story which made this platform so real. When I first started, I was worried about who are the people here, especially when you hear of so many virtual crimes around. But when I got to know all of you, this place is a warm and friendly place. Everyone so far has been encouraging and supportive which is what makes this platform work I think. Am sorry to hear you were made redundant. I too am unsure with what my future will be at work for there has been many hints dropped that my turn will be next. Although there is hope that this can be an income in the future, I am just enjoying my time here, learning new things, seeing new places, joining contests, getting to know amazing Steemians like yourself and @cryptocariad, @phoenixwren, @kristyglas, @crosheille, @icybc and many, many others, finding new passions and rediscovering old ones. I wish you a good rest in August and we will miss you here. Look forward to hearing from you again when you come back! 😘
There are a lot of good people here, but there will be people who won't have the same commitment or values as you. It's good to be considered about what you do 😊. Hope things work out for you at work, whatever is the best outcome for you.Haha! Yes, it can be very hard to get your voting power back to 100%. I used to save mine over the weekend so that I knew I would have votes for #needleworkmonday, and even then, I would have to come back two or three days in a row to read everyone's post and give them a vote.
Thank you @shanibeer :) Ah ya, I think if I really want to get it to 100% again, I need to stay away for a week!
So many posts, so little VP!
You are honest in your questions as they are a good opportunity for you to know more about a subject or a person
You are gracious in your praise as you find something specific you like about the subject or person
You branch out, you like to be learn new things and understand what you're into as you've done with steemit, studying the voting trends and curation and the like.
You bring some really wonderful content to steemit.
For All these and more I appreciate you, I'll miss you when you go meanwhile I'll like to bask in these moments you're still here, I hope you will return 🙂☺Happy one year on steemit @shanibeer, for the time that I've come across your honourable niceness on steemit through #needleworkmonday I've learnt a lot from you:
Thank you very much, that is lovely. I really enjoy your posts and I look forward to reading lots more. Have a lovely summer 😍
You too 🙂
Happy Steemiversary! Well miss you in August. 💜
Thank you, that's kind 😊. Thank you for how much you've enriched my life, your contests have had me investigating all sorts of things. I also really enjoy your posts about things like the environment and homelessness - it's really good to be in a place and in touch with people that talk about these things.
Aww, thank you. 💙
Happy anniversary on steemit. I thought it is more of a business than knowimg people and gaining knowledge in the beginning. I stopped posting for some days. I was lucky enough that I got bored in holidays and started writing again. Then I clicked some amazing photos of my village,our formula student project, our culture and some legit people started liking it. They supported and encouraged me.
I just graduated now and going to join an organisation within 20 days and there is something going on in my right now. I don't know....I mean I thought this is what I should do for rest of my life??..... Definitely not. I'm going to finding ways of meeting new people,learn new business ideas, technology and many more. I don't want to work after 30. So I started working on my idea from now on and I have many good friends to take opinions.
You seem to be knowing more steemit and block chain technology. Actually I know very little about cryptos and block chain technology.Can you please answer any of these questions if you know them??
https://steemit.com/ulog/@kpreddy/ulog2-here-are-some-questions-that-i-noticed-in-comments-section-of-various-posts
Oh yes, I came across some of your pictures of your village in one of the contests run by @phoenixwren and I liked your formula student project. I'm glad you're enjoying steemit 😊 I'll have a look at your questions later, maybe I will be able to help.
Thank you very much! That is so nice of you😊
Good morning @kpreddy - I've added a comment with a suggestion to your blog post. Let me know what you think 😊
Good morning 😊😊. Those are pretty good ideas.
Okay, let's talk in September 😊
sure😊😊
Hey @shanibeer Congrats for completing 1 year with steemit. Hope you will keep posting such great post here. All the best.
Thank you, that is very kind. I hope you enjoy your time here and I wish you every success 😊
Thank you.I have followed you and will be connected here.
Welcome!
I hope August treats you well and you feel invigorated with more writing and ideas to share with us. 🌺🌺Congratulations on your milestone @shanibeer. I am a newbie in comparison. True I have @pennsif as my FAQ source, but things keep changing and sometimes it is rather daunting for me to accept and understand the game rules.
Thank you 😊 Actually, I wasn't sure of the date and had to look it up! I knew it was July sometime. I'm pleased, really, because it's about the time that school finishes for the summer (those long, long holidays when we were children) so, psychologically, it feels "right".
I know what you mean about this new world, so much to learn and it's evolving all the time. I did have a moment of nearly blind panic in one of my early visits, but that passed 😎.
I'm looking forward to August - in future years I hope to get back to having the whole month away from work (or even from mid-July) just to relax, read, take walks, cook and eat lovely food 😍
That's a lovely plan @shanibeer... I've never really had such a long break and I will miss you so make sure you come back :D
I'm thinking of visiting you in August. I was thinking I might time it with a West Wales meet up? Would Aberystwyth be the best place to stay or is there somewhere nearer?
It would be great to meet you @shanibeer! Yes, definitely Aber because it's got more places to see than where we live :D ... I think @pennsif is trying to organise another meet up but I'm not sure when that's for ... Do you have specific dates in mind ?
Just been looking at booking a hotel 😱 - maybe first or second weekend of September might be better?
I will definitely need to check re the beginning of September because both @mivstar and @tinygalaxy are flying the nest to start uni. It would be nice if you could meet us all (mind you that'd be one of the biggest steemit meet-ups ha ha... especially if we can get @pumpkinsandcats, 'silent' @cryptojelly, @cp123, @jen0revision and others too...) @pennsif is doing the radio show at the moment so when he's done I'll ask him re progress on the meet-up dates !
@shanibeer you were flagged by a worthless gang of trolls, so, I gave you an upvote to counteract it! Enjoy!!
Thank you @flagfixer! Pleased to see you.
You are in the proper place and in the correct blockchain, no doubt about it.
Steem on!Thanks for being part of the @runningproject initiative and concratulations for your work in the steem blockchain.
Thank you. I don't comment much on your family and Barcelona pictures, but I really enjoy them. The @runningproject has been a great experience and I'm looking forward to developing more in the autumn.
It took me almost a year to really do something on Steemit and I am now it is over a year for me.
Happy anniversary to you!
Thank you 😊. I hope you are enjoying being here.
Happy Steemiversary! I'm glad you found your TRIBE!!
Indeed 😊 An unexpected bonus!
For all the arguments that take place here, I can't help feeling that it is a good thing that people from such diverse environments and backgrounds are in touch with each other.
Well, I for one am glad our lives crossed. Thank-you
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Yes. It was that post about Scarborough that did it 😊.
You win the prize for making me laugh out loud the most frequently.
Hope we both keep going 😎.
Happy Steemit Birthday 🎂
Thank you. I look forward to getting to know you better in the coming year 😊
Congratulations on 1 year!
Thank you so much 😊
Happy one year Steemiversary!! So proud of you for sticking with it - and looking forward to many more years of posts! Steem on, @shanibeer!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉😁
Thank you 😊 I really enjoy reading your posts. You have a very distinctive writing voice.
Congrats on your anniversary, I am happy our paths have crossed. Hugs
Me too. One of the wonders and delights of the Internet is being in touch with people with such very different lifestyles and environments. I can't halp thinking it must be a good thing.
Wishing you an enjoyable August! 😎
Thank you 😊
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
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You just planted 0.07 tree(s)!
We have planted already 3948.01 trees
out of 1,000,000
Let's save and restore Abongphen Highland Forest
in Cameroonian village Kedjom-Keku!
My Steem Power = 19178.86
Thanks a lot!