I HATE SOLITARY CONFINEMENT!

I HATE solitary confinement! I’ve been there once and never want to go back there again. It happened when I least expected it and it was a shock to my system…….to put it mildly. At first, I ranted and raved (inwardly) because I didn’t think I deserved to be there. It just wasn’t fair! Why didn’t someone tell me I was committing a punishable misdemeanour?

Before you read further, I apologise for having to use stock photos to illustrate my predicament, but I was understandably reluctant to have my photo taken whilst ensconced in my lonely, bleak cell. Also, I suck at taking selfies, so I’ve had to improvise.

Now, I could have sulked, called the lawyer I haven’t introduced myself to yet, fretted about wasted time and the embarrassing situation I found myself in, but I decided to warn other, naïve souls of the pitfalls that I had fallen victim to. Attempting to reduce my symptoms of severe withdrawals, I forced myself to partake of the unpalatable prison food that had been placed unceremoniously in front of me and plan my escape. I ended up with a bad case of internet indigestion. What do people see in some of those other social websites?

What was my crime you may well ask? It is the same one as my dear friend @katrina-ariel (only on Steemit can you call someone you’ve had just one conversation with a dear friend) ……as I was saying, my new bestie (Remember me Katrina?) was an early offender and she did the right thing by sharing her experience with fellow steemians. Her crime like mine, was that she was just too darned enthusiastic! Yes, you read right! I believe this phenomenon can become an occupational hazard here in Steemit.

At this juncture, I will confess with head bowed and face shamed that I had read Kathrina’s fabulous post titled, "The Biggest Mistake I Made on my 1st day in Steemit." And that is why I didn’t go kicking and screaming with hands cuffed and prison garbed into my proverbial paddy wagon on route to my confinement. I had been forewarned and was aware of the danger of offending in such a manner.

I just didn’t think my level of exuberance matched hers and therefore ruled myself out of becoming a likely candidate of meeting that same dreaded fate. I should have clicked on Katrina's link explaining the Bandwidth factor. Hindsight is all very well but having chucked a fair few of ‘last years’ calendars into the bin, I’ve learned (often uncomfortably) that experience is an extremely effective teacher. Pity I have to learn things the hard way.

Another dear friend, prior to me joining this E-STEEMED group of people told me she was addicted to Steemit. I remember smiling to myself, thinking, “Good on you. I am so happy for you.” Now here I am still sitting in my highchair with my steemit bib on; an immature whitebait babe (they’re the smallest fish I could think of) in a family of minnows, herrings, and giant whales, barely a month into it and I find myself suffering from the same disease. Addiction!

I was dimly aware of it happening, but I steemed on, in my nonchalant manner but because I inadvertently used up my bandwidth allowance yesterday by welcoming new members, commenting as though RSI hadn’t been invented and squeezing in one more photo challenge for the day, I misused my privileges and found myself deprived of the freedom I was so enjoying yesterday.

Was I frustrated when I woke up this morning and couldn’t Steemit? Oh yes.

But rather than fume, twiddle my fingers in despair, waste time or increase my internet indigestion, I decided I would make the most of my confinement by bringing this issue; the one that I hadn’t previously given enough attention to, into the limelight for other newbies.

It’s true. I could have done some housework. Yuk!

But altruism ruled the day! (I am blinded by my own heroism!) Due to the many discarded calendars, I admit, that my concentration levels are certainly not what they used to be and I have felt swamped at the amount of information I need to absorb to get where I want to go in Steemit. (Oh…….I am so longing to chuck my dummy.)

But if a whale calf doesn’t learn to swim, early on, she or he will get washed ashore and stranded on a beach as lonely as my confinement and I don’t want that to happen to anyone, for however brief the internment. Instead of trying to learn it all at once, I will not put too much pressure on myself but go at a pace I am comfortable with whilst simultaneously taking time to understand one segment at a time……..even if I have to learn the hard way.

Every concept grasped is graduation day for me.

Now that I have done my good deed for the day I will get back to the business of posting, commenting and learning, but in a manner more fitting to my present status. And in the interests of making my votes more valuable I will resist the temptation to show my appreciation as often as I’d like to and keep an eye on my bandwidth usage.

Here are the details on how to avoid solitary confinement:

https://steemit.com/bandwidth/@timcliff/steem-bandwidth-user-experience-issue

So, to all my ‘dear,’ new found friends and to others whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing pre-Steemit: Thank you for bearing with me in this lengthy preamble. I value you all and look forward to many more fun times ahead.

See you around!