Greetings Steemit,

As I checked today's date I realized that I'm a few weeks overdue for this annual post, which in all honesty seems a bit odd to construct due to my ongoing inactivity. Where to begin? I recently rewatched the movie 'The Fifth Element', in which the line "Time not important, only Life important" is spoken. That phrase has stuck on my mind since, and I find this semantic sigil to be an insightful flow.

Time

'Time' seems to be going by quickly these days, as I've reached the point of having life dictate a sudden lack of "personal centered decompression time", and my creative flow seems to take that shot right on the chin.

'Time' is a means of gauging our place by marking a certain spot in this universe. It seems the older I get, the faster it feels to be slipping by. A great example of that notion is the tidbit that I joined Steemit on July 31st 2016, and I personally do not feel as if I've been here for over 2 years now. It just doesn't seem like that much time has passed in my life, and yet, it has.

Life

'Life' is a mission we all were handed the day we decided to take our first breath. Some believe its random, some believe it has purpose. I tend to fall somewhere along the lines of one of my favorite quotations, which reads: “Life is just a chance to grow a soul” (A. Powell Davies), and believe me when I say... "I'm trying".

'Life' changes with time, yet I feel that most of the ethereal essence that makes the whole of 'me' stays the same. Going back & rereading my previous two 'Who is GiftedGaia?' posts (linked in my signature), I can concede that I am both changed by time, and life is different now than it once was. I suppose that's the "Growing a Soul" part.

Who/What was I?

The generic labels all still apply: I work too hard, I dream too hard, and I feel too hard... as it seems that regardless of the passing of time, I'm still striving to be an example of adding a few points to the 'Humans are Good' side (in some sense).

A Singer, a DJ, a Promoter, a Podcast host, a Drone Photographer... so it goes... on & on... for almost 40 years now - as the oils & waters of consciousness meet & attempt to blend the subtle cosmic components that make up the 'all' of 'me'. Sadly, there is some clutter. I feel as if my mind isn't really centered enough at this time to make grand protestations here in this post today, as I've recently been going through some personal loss that has left me feeling a bit blue and not the best operating version of myself. In that model: I shouldn't be trying to write some uber positive/upbeat post about my life, as it would come served with a small & hidden side of deceit whether noticed or not.

Who/What am I?

I still find 'hope' in interacting with quality human beings, people who inspire my life with kindness and insights worth gaining. 'Perspective' can't be taken, it HAS to be earned. People who hold it typically had to survive some dark storms in acquiring it, and meeting and spending time with this particular type of Human is a part of what helps to keep me going. As written & sang by Brandon Boyd of Incubus: "My past is perilous, But each scar I bear sings. Monuments to where I have been, And melodies to where I am going."

I like helping people, and have done so for many years. Details on my past charity, music, and podcasting work can be discovered in rereading the aforementioned 'Who is GG' posts linked below, but when I pause to think who I am now and what is worth mentioning here to any user who may not know of me in those past circles, I suppose a few things pop up in mind worth mentioning.

The seer vs the speaker

I like pausing in a moment of reflection, to enjoy a moment, and relish in a memory. I'm not certain if that comes from will power exercises in 'patience', being a musician most of my life, or my trained breathing exercises... I suppose it could be a combination of them all.

We are blessed to live in a world dripping with technological conveniences, and the options awarded for our amusement and creativity are boundless. Specifically my favorite new device that has captured my interest is a GoPro camera, in which I enjoy shooting vids & pics of all sorts of pretty things. I believe this to be the 'seer' in me, relishing those individual moments and reflecting upon the memories captured. Here are 2 recent videos shot with that camera, one from my back deck, and the other a compilation of driving around southwest Missouri clips.

Deck Cam

Cloud Chasing

The 'speaker' in me is left typing this realizing that I have no content to share that would fit the bill for any reading OG STP fans. I'm a talker, and I'm an even better listener, so the craft of 'podcasting' seemed to have come very naturally for me. I've received more positive fan feedback via those activities than any other past passion I've been willing to share.

Without letting the Schrodinger's cat out of the proverbial bag, I can offer assurance that a new podcasting project is soon to launch, and I hold high hopes that this show will present some top notch quality conversations with some other Steemians you may already know & love - yet the first amendment auditor in me feels I should just stop talking about those pursuits at this time, and leave the reader with a heartfelt 'stay tuned'.

I do also have some Steemit posts in the pending pipeline, as I've been collecting content despite my posting absence. Its nice after 2 years to see most of us are all still here, swiftly surfing these steemy waters. I've met a lot of great people in this community, and am a walking example of someone who's life has benefited via my contact here on this platform.

I suppose part of me longs for the 'good old days' that was Steemit's past, yet I realize that these memories of a past time are not important, only my life continuing to allow my being here next year (and hopefully many years to follow) to meet this annual posting deadline is what is truly of importance... just as the Mondoshawan told us.

Cheers Steemit!

~GiftedGaia

---

---

-Who is: GiftedGaia?

-Who is: GiftedGaia 1 Year Later?

-My DJ Mixes Archive

-My Youtube Page (lots of Drone Videos)

-GiftedGaia's Favorite Quotations on Life and Music

-Photogenic Adventures Series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

-+1 Point on the 'Humans are Good' side: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5