Over on Imgur, they have this thing called a "cakeday." It's the day your account was created, and people kinda take it as a funny thing, but people get into it. Today, December 15, is my Steem Cakeday. It was one year ago today that I made my introduction post. One year! You don't often think about it when it comes to social media. But hey, let's party!

Not only did I complete one year, but I also made it to 500SP in that time. It wasn't easy, and I had to cash out the 0.05LTC I farmed up on coinpot to do it, but I did it! Minnow in a year! I got lucky and had some help from some awesome sources, and support from some awesome people along the way. I specifically want to call out @curie, @themarkymark, @crimsonclad, and @shinobibrands for their awesome support. Curie was kind enough to drop a few upvote bombs on my posts, which really helped me get on my feet in the beginning. And @crimsonclad and @themarkymark helped me build @opgaming from the ashes of @gamersunited. Long story, don't ask.

I would be remiss to not mention dLive and @vimm in all of this. dLive definitely helped me out with some generous upvotes this past summer, and their departure hurt us all. It's awesome that @chiren and @foreveraverage, amongst others, came together to build @vimm and try to fill the void. It's a definite work in progress, but the results so far have been pretty awesome. I look forward to seeing @vimm grow! Especially after yesterday's announcement. Yeah, I'm now part of the Vimm team! I have plans in mind to help it grow, and I'm definitely going to make that happen!

But if I can take this in a bit more somber direction, I'm a bit conflicted. The people I've met over the Steem blockchain are really great. They really are! I've met people from around the world, and even some in my own area! There are tons of really awesome people on here, but not everyone looks at us the same way we do.

This past Thanksgiving, I told my family about this post. I mentioned that I entered it into @comedyopenmic, and wound up getting the @curie nod at the same time. When I tried explaining how Steem works, my brother interjected. He said, "the more I hear you talk about it, the more I think a group of people could just game the system upvoting each other and take all the rewards." And every time I tried to respond, someone else would interrupt. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. It had me looking like this guy:

People are turned off to crypto nowadays. What was once a bright spot for Steem is now a blemish somehow. And that sucks, because those people are missing out on @steepshot, @steemmonsters, @vimm, and all these other awesome dApps that make the network as amazing as it is. But you know what? That's okay. The people that are on here are awesome people. If other awesome people want to join us, that's cool! I just wish telling others about it wasn't met with such a negative response...

Before I end this post, I want to add a few quick pieces of advice:

1. Power up EVERYTHING!!! It took me almost a year to reach 500SP, and it wasn't always easy. Those first couple upvotes weren't particularly big, and it can feel disheartening to spend all this time on a post to get a pittance of a payout. But keep at it! Growing your SP is important, especially now. You need to bank as much as you can.

2. Get to know a witness or three. They're good people, even if they're super busy. I had the pleasure of meeting @timcliff in person last April, when he hosted a local Steemit Meetup in Minneapolis. And through @opgaming, I got to know @crimsonclad and @themarkymark. All of them are cool folks, and it's worth taking the time to get to know the people who represent your interests on the blockchain.

3. Engage others. Get to know your fellow Steemians. We're awesome people, right? Why not get to know each other? Who knows, you just might make a new friend!

To many more years with you awesome people!

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