Why Am I Still Here?

The short answer would be Where else would I be as this is the best community I've ever been part of!

@theycallmedan has launched a great initiative a few days ago and I was planning to participate but then all hell broke lose and I postponed my post. Now my answer to the question is more complex that it would have been before the hostile takeover that happened three or so days ago.

I've been here for a little over two years now and I can honestly say it's been the most amazing two years as far as learning and developing different skills is concerned. I'm not going to lie, my first intention was to practice my English (as it's not my first language) by blogging and engaging with other users as well as earning some crypto. Selfish? Maybe, if you're looking at my side but I tend to believe that my blogs and contribution to different projects has helped this place in becoming a better one.

This place has a lot of potential and even though exists for only four years, it's still a baby compared to what it could be.

Obvious times here has been changing all the time, sometimes it's like a roller coaster ride, there are ups and downs and sometimes we hit rock bottom.

Mixing Business With Pleasure?

I'm among the lucky ones who's existence does not depend on my Steem earnings. I'm never checking the price, unless I need to exchange SBD for Steem, otherwise believe me, many times I have no idea what the current price is.

Without any pressure regarding the price, I can enjoy what I do on a daily bases. I can read blog posts that open the world to me, give me the opportunity to learn new things and meet new people even though unfortunately most of the time I'm busy and can't engage as much as I'd love to.

I can post about what interest me, like gardening, photography, travel for example, and sharing my experience may help others learn new things. I'm enjoying being rewarded for my posts and consider this as a game as the financial part is like a business. Business however in this sense is not a real business for me. I've only invested my time and knowledge, plus my photography skills. However, managing my finances to grow my account is like a business, where you need to find the best solutions to maximize your earnings.

I've never taken out a penny from what I have earned, and not intend to in the near future. All you see in my wallet is all I have earned by posting, commenting and working on different projects. I consider my wallet as an investment for the future.

Life On Steem These Days

The last few days on Steem were really rough, some unprecedented things have happened and the madness is far from being over. The question Why Am I Still Here? has become more important. We all have been put to the test.

When the news broke about Ned selling Steemit.inc, we all were a bit worried and not knowing what's going to happen to our favorite place has that effect on you. Uncertainty can make you take hasty or reckless. Those who were afraid of losing their investment hit the power down button right the minute the sell has been leaked, then cancelled it, they hit the power down button again after the hostile takeover.

When the news about the sell broke and there were concerns that we may lose our stake, I had the time to think and analyze what I feel.

I've been through something similar in 2017, when the platform I've been part of went dark overnight and lost all my earnings, which was around $50 I believe. It wasn't a fortune obviously, that wasn't a loss but losing or let me rephrase, not being able to be in contact with my friends hurt. We kept in touch through another social media platform that I don't want to name here, I don't intend to make publicity for them. Then we found Steem and here we are, not only with our old friends but with a bunch of new friends.

Going through that again would have hurt a little but since we have Discord, I wasn't afraid of losing them, nor my stake. It may sound crazy as at the current price my wallet worth $1900 as I could buy a lot of things with that money but since I've never looked at them as a resource, I can live with not having them.

What has changed since the other platform went dark? I have changed! This place and the users have changed me a lot in a good way. The knowledge I've accumulated here about crypto, English and the skills I've been able to develop will always be keeping here, no matter if there's any earning possibility or not.

This roller coaster ride we are participating in these days has shown me and not only me, what a powerful community this is. The beauty of it is that the power that is holding us together is coming from what we represent, a real and true community.

The future of the community on the blochchain has become unclear at some point. Four Steemit employees have resigned because they don't agree with what happened. Three of them developers, people who's skills and knowledge are crucial for the company, plus the

Why Am I Still Here?

when you're not fighting for something bigger than yourself it makes quitting an option. source

Today at the moment of writing Justin has posted ... I don't even know what to call it, an insult full of dirty words that no educated person would use. I've seen a lot of dirty language on Steem but never one like this, and all this coming from a (wannabe) leader who is calling himself a businessman.

I'm here to fight for our blockchain, to fight against abuse! I don't care about the costs but I want this person out of here with all the dirty tricks he's using. He has no place here, burning down the place we have built with hard work!

I won't quit even if I lose all my wallet! I love this place and I'm here to fight and help the community! This is not right and needs to end!