I woke up this morning and saw the little birthday cake icon next to the "80 Moons" milestone on Hiveblocks.com. I've witnessed a whole lotta change in that time, and grew as a writer on this, our own little corner of the blockchain.

Experiences may have different meanings to different people, and for me Steemit (later Hive), became a refuge from the poisonous plagiarism I was subject to on Blogger. Here was a place where I could spread my wings as a writer, while actually earning a promising new token and help to build a connected community from the ground up.

And that community is exactly what helped me grow. There was always someone willing to share tips and knowledge, so that a new person never felt alone. I can still remember the many times when someone had an account taken over, and the veteran members all pitched in to restore access (and to remind the newbie to follow security best practices going forward).

The "Lost" Year

Having been burnt by foreigners stealing my content and republishing it on their on blogs on Blogger, I was in no rush to jump in on Steemit when I became aware of it in Spring/early Summer 2016. Instead, I decided to lurk and learn, while Steemit was taking its rookie shakedown cruise.

There was a breadth of content for me to peruse, and the mind meld of blogging and crypto on the blockchain, seemed to be actually working. Those early days gave me the opportunity to learn the ropes, so that when I was ready to jump in, I already knew about crediting images, formatting, linking, and the vital importance of engagement in growing on the blockchain.

One of my earliest blog posts was I believe, part of my <Life Is Precious series, about a huge explosion in China, and another about the life of singer Josephine Baker. I'd learned about her as a child from my mother and grandmother who adored her. They kept mentioning a scandalous Banana Dance, which was just as racy as they said it was when I finally got to watch it on YouTube years later.

If you watch enough Josephine Baker videos from her heyday, its easy to see how much of her style Beyonce stole, I mean, was inspired by , in order to create her own "act." (Watch both singers, and you can clearly see the moves and even what Beyonce does with her face and eyes that came directly from Mrs. Baker back in the 1920s when she was the toast of France). :)

But I digress.

Eventually, when I thought I was ready, I created that first post, and we were off to the races!

The Future

Its been an eventful six years since then, and I like to think that I've used those "80 Moons" well in my quest to become a better content creator.

I now look forward to the next six years with the same positivity that I've held every day for the past six. We all have so much more to learn from this community, and I believe our best days are yet ahead of us. So Happy Hive Birthday To Me, and I wish you all good tidings as we take his journey together towards a brighter future.

If you found this post informative or inspiring, you know what to do... :)

Please check out my recent posts:

• Working Title 2

• Why?

• "Good" Tired

• Treasure Every Day

• Chill, and Just Keep Creating...

Image Credit: [1] @EverNoticeThat Created using Canva