It's my Steemit 1st Happy Birthday today! One year wiser? Reflections and thoughts.

Forget the moon. Steem on route to Andromeda.

So I woke up this morning and logged in to this:

My first thought was 'Where does time go?'

Like seriously! Yesterday I was only in Crypto-diapers and now here I am all grown up already and ready to face the big bad blockchain world out there!

My second thought was coffee....and sex.... and chocolate mint biscuits with crisps...

My third thought was "Oh I do like to blow my own trumpet!" and therefore I'd better cater to my Ego and do the old obligatory "one year on Steemit" post.

My fourth thought was isn't it nice someone remembered my birthday, even if it was only a bot? My fifth thought was is saying 'only a bot' racist? And if not, will it be someday soon?

Enough... the stats are in, and here's what they say:

And awards.... we like awards, oh yes we do!

So cheers to everyone who has taken the time to encourage me, read my in(s)ane ramblings, comment and/or reply.

I have gained a heap of followers, but must sadly announce a very high mortality rate of dead ones among them. Nothing to do with me, I promise! My writing can't be that bad, can it??

On a serious note. I have really only engaged with Steemit on four out of the last twelve months. Reasons for this include the conclusion of two years in court regarding the world's crappiest divorce, repossession of my Cyprus property by a foreign government/bank (resulting in my status of "involuntarily homeless") , the last stages of looking after a close relative with dementia and a complete nervous and mental breakdown....and that's just the good news...

I don't mention all this for anyone's sympathy, but to highlight the fact that not all of us disappear from Steemit because we have lost faith with the platform or because of a perceived lack of financial rewards. Shit happens.

On the positive side, I also dated a former Bond girl.... every dude's fantasy, right? So that was cool. Lot of great stuff happened that I will be blogging about in the coming days.

However, for this post, I want to say I had no real understanding of the Crypto world before joining Steemit. I would now rate myself an expert. I have gone so far as to set up a folder on the cloud for friends and family where I have collected all my data and research and shared the link with them, raving like a madman how they simply have to get involved with the Gold Rush of our times.

For me, the true value of any Crypto currency is not determined by any monetary numbers flashing up on a display, but in the talent of people.

Steemit Value = People, not Dollars

As money was once actually measured in talents, the present value of anything is really determined by the very people who use it.

Therefore, if the innovators, developers, writers, creators, artists, scientists, philosophers et al of this generation are investing their time, talents, and energy in Crypto currencies and the Blockchain.... how can it possibly fail???

What use is a market that no-one uses anymore? The naysayers and fiat/Gold fanboys and girls are like the proverbial King Canute trying to hold back the ocean. All I can say is I got my Ark built and ready to sail.

For the coming year, I intend to engage with Steemit and this great community on a daily basis. It's my therapy. Thanks guys! See you on the other side ;)