Thanks for sharing your many insights in this comment!

I know that I surely need the encouragement that comments like yours bring. When I read good and relevant comments, I know that someone has actually taken the time to read and think about what I've written. I find that tremendously encouraging.

You're absolutely right; I'm not in this just for the money. I want to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren to be able to access one day.

Unfortunately, on Steemit, it seems as if "trending" has everything to do with the monetary rewards. This favors the whales and their cliques...

It would be nice if the "trending" algorithms could take into account the number and time spent of actual article readers.