I Have Crossed the Threshold!

Well, here it is. After about a month and a half on Steemit, I've managed to attract my 100th follower!

Considering I came on here without any blogging experience before and no expectations, I have to say I have been blown away by the reception I've had here and the fantastic people I've met. Steemit really is a community, and I've been extremely fortunate to get in on the first wave of people coming here.

The anarchist and voluntaryist community here is phenomenal, and I've had a chance to collaborate and speak to some amazing minds. It's helped me broaden my horizons, while simultaneously challenging me to articulate my own points better. Steemit might not be a completely decentralized platform, but everything I've seen on here to date encourages me to believe that it's dedicated to liberty for authors and quality content for users. So far I'd like to think I've contributed a little something-something for people to read and ponder.

What's really blown me away is the thriving fiction community here. I've always dabbled in fiction writing, even going so far as to get 20k words deep into a novel, but since being on here, my creativity has been unleashed. From #descriptionsonthespot to putting out my own serial novel, I've kicked writer's block to the damn curb and surged forward. I'm even thinking of expanding outside of science fantasy and tackling horror or cyberpunk. Who knows what the future holds!

I'd like to take a moment to give a special shout-out to some particular folks that have really made an impact on my journey here on Steemit!

@zaebars - I can't say enough about how phenomenal a photographer she is. She's been the source of inspiration for a number of #descriptiononthespot pieces, and I've worked with her to help translate her work from Russian to English. Amazing creator, and if you aren't following her already, you should!
@jedau - Sadly, @jedau isn't on Steemit actively anymore because he needed a break, but I can tell you right now: if it wasn't for his words of encouragement on my writing and my fiction, I likely would have put Steemit on the backburner. He's been a great source of positive criticism and motivation; I hope you come back one day, sir!
@seedsofliberty - Good ol' Dave. This guy has been a fantastic friend and is one of the first people that got me started into voluntaryism, along with Merrick, Jared, Jeremy, and a couple others. He's the one that convinced me to fork over some dough and buy a real microphone set up so I could podcast (which I'm working on.)
@jaredhowe - This intellectual giant pretty much speaks for himself. Thankfully, though, he was kind enough to mention Steemit to me as a post on a mutual Facebook group, and here I am. He's been a great source of motivation and inspiration for me on my journey to voluntaryism, and along with the fine people at The Seeds of Liberty, has helped me come to liberty fully, and not just half-ass it like so many armchair patriots.
@gonzo - I ran into @gonzo when we were both trying to break out and make something awesome happen on here. He's had a little more success than I have (huge understatement, I know), but he's always a great guy and always willing to lend an ear when I have something I want to bounce off of him. After his awesome series about a future dystopia ruled by the blockchain, he's branched into poetry and done magnificently. If you're not following him, you should.
@pfunk - This guy has been on Steemit longer than I've heard of Steemit, and he's posted a ton of stuff. Aside from being a talented photographer and a reviewer of fine, culinary treats, he gave me my first big boost, along with @berniesanders. Thank you, sir!
@kryptik - I haven't known @kryptik all that long, but he's been a fantastic fellow author and Steemian. He's the reason why I had a haiku contest after his own awesome flash fiction contest. He helped me judge mine, and he's a constant source of great content. If you aren't following him, you should be.
@beowulfoflegend - Another one of my fellow authors and Steemians, @beowulfoflegend is one of the greatest authors I've met (next to my personal friend Rand). I have been enjoying Silvanus and Empire since he started releasing it, and it's only continued to get better and more engaging. Plus, he's got a great sense of humor and a really sharp wit. I sound like a broken record, but if you're not following him, you should.

And of course, it goes without saying that I want to thank @ned for following my blog. If my stuff is good enough to get even a passing acknowledgement from one of the founders, I must be doing something right.

Thank you to everyone who's made this journey possible for me. You guys have been the encouragement and positive influence I needed to really buckle down and crank out content worthy of reading. Here's to the next 100 (if I make it) and the next two months (and more) worth of great content!

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Andrei Chira is a vaper, voluntaryist, and all-around cool dude. Formerly a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, he now spends his time between working at VapEscape in Montgomery County, Alabama, contributing to Seeds of Liberty on Facebook and Steemit, and expanding his understanding of...well, everything, with an eye on obtaining a law degree in the future.