Harness that STEEM—convert it to SP!
I’ve heard this many times since joining Steemit. And I don’t disagree. But what if cashing out is how you buy groceries that week? Or pay an electric bill? I’m one of those people who doesn’t have the luxury of investing. At least not right now. Maybe Steemit will change that. Right now it's keeping me alive.
I’ve never been wealthy. Always blue collar, always flirting with the poverty level. Five years ago, I spent my life savings to start a nonprofit rescue for animals in one of the most economically depressed and morally bankrupt regions of the U.S.—Central Appalachia. I operated on the assumption that eventually the community would recognize the benefit and step up to support our cause. I was an idiot. Not only did that not happen, but the community proved to be very hostile toward “intrusive” efforts to change the social and political climate. I wrote articles about this you can read HERE and HERE. So I won’t go down that road again with this post. Instead, I’ll talk about how different my experience with Steemit has been, and why I’ve dipped into my earnings hard.
I spend most of my online time at the Fiction Workshop at the PALnet Minnowsupport group on Discord. I don’t advertise what goes on in day to day operations here at home, other than those posts I linked above. Yes, I’ll talk about it if it comes up in conversation. No, I don’t solicit charity for these homeless animals from fellow Steemians. Yet more than once, I’ve received notification of SBD floating into my wallet, and when I ask, the giver simply says, “just because.”
This is so different from the everyday world I live in that it can be startling. I am the same person at Steemit that I am “in real life,” and on other forms of social media. Just as outspoken, just as likely to bully a bully, and very talkative. Currently, I hold server ranking #6 at the PALnet Discord group out of a field of more than 3,600 members. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet.
For every personality trait I’ve been punished for on home turf, I’m rewarded for at Steemit, and at PALnet. This is a game-changer for me. But here’s the clincher: taking my Bitpay VISA into a local grocery store and purchasing a week’s worth of food for myself and these animals is life-saving. Before Steemit, I have literally not known where my next meal would come from, or how I’d pay that month’s electric bill. Mind you—I’m still not making huge money here, but for someone with nothing at all, a little can go a long way.
I have big dreams about using Steemit earnings to fund the rescue, to build fences and repair the facility and pay for spays and neuters. Part of my payouts will always convert into SP because that’s how the system works. But don’t expect my SBD and STEEM to just sit there and accumulate when there are very real needs in this 501c3 public charity that aren’t being met by my real-world community.
I can promise you that I will produce good content, work day and night to help fellow Steemians write well and maybe even publish novels. But Steemit is survival for me. It’s not a hobby. I joined out of desperation, out of knowing I was one month away from losing everything, including the animals I’ve worked so hard to save. I had no idea if I’d make it a week on this platform, let alone a month. But I’m still here, and still holding my own. So here’s hoping for another great month! And by the way, if you write fiction, come join us at the Fiction Workshop. Find us HERE. We'd love to talk to you!
