Phew!...wow. My life has been struck by a giant wave of crazy in recent weeks and it has taken a bit to find the time to continue the chain!

About a month ago, @tincho had an incredible idea to build the community up and help strengthen the blockchain friendships! I'm sure he has been pacing back and forth for the past 19 days waiting for the next link in the User's Chain to be released- so, without further ado, today I will present to you link number 12 in this awesome journey.

BUT FIRST!

I originally thought this was somewhat of an odd idea. I was asked by @son-of-satire if I was ok with being one of his chosen links, but I turned him down, because I felt like these things weren't my strong point. You see, I like colors, sounds and art...Words are not my forte. They never have been, and I never expect them to be. That being said, shortly after he released his blog post, I was tagged by @hanshotfirst as the next link in the User's Chain...My reaction?

Nice. Obviously someone or something wants me to make a post - Might as well give it a shot.

But then I read @hanshotfirst's post about me, a guy whom he barely knows. It was so full of kindness, compassion and encouragement. It felt good to know that someone thought of me as a friend and saw me worthy to be the next link in this chain, even though we have never met in person. 

Suddenly I became intrigued by this concept.

What can I say about @hanshotfirst? Man, what a geek. Not only is he a total 70's kid that loves every thing Star Wars, but he is also days away from needing a hip replacement...on a more serious note, he was one of my earliest contacts in Steemit.chat. Since that first chat, he has been nothing but help and total encouragement. There were times when I was ready to walk away, and he always came through with kindness that I didn't expect. It's the type of kindness that catches you off guard in such a way that it makes you wonder, "Why are you so nice?". Han has a heart of gold, and gives every time he gets the chance. When Steemians are down and out, searching for their next step - he is always there to lend a helping hand, whether it's with a few simple words or a special STEEM donation. If I had a STEEM for every time I've seen him try and spread some positivity to a discouraged Steemian, I would be rich! (well, ok, probably not rich, because STEEM is only $0.24 right now, but you get the point. Geeze, why does everyone have to be so literal!?) This guy is the true definition of genuine and if you aren't following him, you need to take a moment and rethink your life. For real, this dude is awesome.

 So far this chain consists of @tincho, @danilamarilu, @papa-pepper, @verbal-d, @jedau, @therealpaul, @dreemit, @son-of-satire, @dwinblood, @hanshotfirst and now me.

Now it is my turn to pick the next link in the chain! I have a couple of people in mind, but for the sake of both your and my time (have I mentioned that my life has recently been beaten with a crazy stick? lol) I will choose only one.

Drumroll please!

@jsantana!

@jsantana was also one of my earliest contacts in steemit.chat, and I have absolutely nothing bad to say about him. He is an awesome photographer from Brazil who pours his heart and soul into Steemit. I have watched him grow from a new user and into the blogger he is today. He has always been incredibly genuine and helpful in every way, and he is an all around fun guy to talk to. 

I know, I know - you're thinking, "well he only picked jsantana because he is a fellow metalhead"...

While I enjoy the fact that we share a love for heavy metal, this isn't what made me choose him. Since I have come to know him, I have been very inspired by his ability to stay level headed. Any time I saw him in the midst of dispute, whether it was about him or around him, he always kept his cool. Anyone that can face something uncomfortable and keep smiling through it all, is someone that I will always look up to. 

Plus he taught me to make my first Caipirinha, which is a tasty Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça (kinda like rum, but not really), lime and sugar. 

Thank you, @jsantana for being such an awesome inspiration to me and other Steemians, and thank you for always being a positive influence in the Steemit community! Steem on, buddy! Keep being super!

Ok, @jsantana, now it's your turn to choose the next link in the User's Chain - You can see the rules here.

Alright guys, I hope you all enjoyed this original content! If you did, please feel free to upvote and follow! And as always, if you have questions or advice for me, please leave them in the comments.