I was THAT guy!
Yes, I was that guy who posted more than my share of family photos on Facebook. Why not, I am a proud daddy. But that was nothing in comparison to the reality of my Facebook stature.
I am a military veteran.
I am sure there are plenty of veterans on Steemit.
But, you don’t see or hear of them—at least I find it very rare for the short period I have been here.
Veterans on social media saturate pages with their past accomplishments. Many are full of complete bullshit acting as if they were some herculean crusading warrior. And yes, I swear many of them wake up in the morning and look into the mirror and see themselves as the image on top of this post.
I actually use the phrase, “I was just a cop in the Air Force” simply to show people I am not some Navy Seal-Delta Force-Ninja Warrior wannabe.
But for whatever reason, I was glued to that crowd.
Literally, while I wanted to run away from it, I couldn’t. I wanted to run away from a culture and society I love dearly.
These are my brothers and sisters in arms. But, I started seeing trends that just turned me off: Self-made social media celebrities, national security geniuses’ without college degrees and only four years of service, the constant self-desire to “investigate” others for stolen valor, etc. It all just became way too tiring.
I did my time.
Actually, I did 14 years in the Air Force. I was no one special and yet because I left the service with multiple academic degrees in national security related subjects and put them to good use in traditional media and through “assisting Uncle Sugar” when he needed some contractual services, a perception was made from some that I was like those I mentioned above—you know, the veteran celebrity type.
My years of service are well past me.
I just wanted to move on and be a good husband, a daddy, and transition my professional life into Hollywood which I have done relatively successfully (then again, success lies in the eyes of the beholder).
(Just a pick proving that yes, I actually work in Hollywood. This was from a Co-Star role I had on the TV Show Outsiders)
But there I was, every single morning like an alarm clock was built inside me—wake up and immediately check my Facebook page and start engaging by either creating a post or comment on another’s.
And, those posts or comments predominantly consisted of military, national security, or political diatribes. And, for the most part, I did this on veteran pages or pages surrounding national security.
There is so much more to whom I am as an individual-- far beyond some national security weenie or being a veteran.
I love to cook, take photographs, study human and social and cultural behaviors, understand alternative medicines, and be in the outdoors.
If I love those things, why was I constantly a part of a social media space that entailed little to none of that which I truly love? Why could I not get away from the Facebook Veteran and National Security world?
Part of the reason is due to the way Facebook is structured having “groups” and “pages.”
The other part was largely due to me refusing to break away from something I was intimately familiar with—the veteran and national security community.
Steemit gives something to folks like myself. It allows us to scroll through “What’s New,” “What’s Trending,” “What’s Hot,” etc.
Simply put, Steemit allows us as humans to diversify and branch out far beyond what we already know or at least THINK we know.
Yes, as a newbie in the cryptocurrency world, especially the Steemit world, I hold my reservations largely out of fear—fear what is unknown. But, that is part of life—tackling your fears.
I guess this is my way of giving thanks to the one person who initially introduced me to Steemit—my friend who just happens to be another veteran @Blakemiles84.
You and Steemit helped me break free from my Facebook addiction.
Thanks buddy.