Selfie Challenge - what it meant to me

So . . . here I was. Feeling a little overwhelmed. I had just had my surgery - a lumpectomy for breast cancer - and I was looking at 7 weeks of radiation. Every day, Monday thru Friday. I thought that it would be no big deal. That it would be like going to a job. Except that it was the worst job. Ever.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are so many brave people going through so much worse than me. And my technicians were so nice and compassionate. But I’m still thinking, will I be able to stay positive and upbeat? I’m normally pretty happy-go-lucky. My mom says I got all the happy in the family while my dad sometimes thought I was a silly idiot. Either way, I like to smile. But still . . . I didn’t know what to expect.

Then I saw a Selfie Challenge posted on Steemit by Hive account@papa-pepper. I always thought that people that took constant selfies were vain and self-absorbed. But hmmmm, maybe it would be a distraction. I decided to enter. Stepped out of my comfort box. I was hoping it would get my mind off the fact that I was being deep fried from the inside out. And I was right! It certainly did! I would have never guessed in a million years that I would be taking and posting a selfie every day for 57 days!

So, yes, for 57 days I took a selfie doing a variety of crazy, self-deprecating stunts. For 57 days I anxiously waited for the next challenge and commented on other selfie-takers posts. I probably shared more of myself with these virtual strangers than I’ve shared with people that actually know me in the flesh and blood. For example, the majority of people that I know and/or do business with have no idea that I had cancer surgery. But I’ve shared it here because how can you not be comfortable with people who balance on one foot while playing with fire, or put their heads under water for a selfie shot?

I was fortunate enough to be one of the last 10 players and we all decided to split the winnings. I’m so happy that everyone was able to benefit from Hive account@papa-pepper’s generosity! Honestly the SBDs weren’t that important to me. I loved seeing all the posts, witnessing the cheerleading from the players that were eliminated and feeling the comraderie that this challenge created. It caused the distraction I was looking for!

Earlier today I messaged Hive account@papa-pepper thanking him for his generosity and for putting together this challenge. He said that this “distraction” paid off in the best possible way for everyone. He was so right! I feel especially blessed because I found a community of kind, truly goodhearted people. I can’t wait for the next challenge! Thank you all!!💜💜