A long time ago, being ranked 70 on Hive was a big deal, at least for me. It meant one is an OG. While in those days, accounts with a reputation of 70 were often owned by whales, it was the feeling of being among those whose opinions hold sway that really captivated me about reputations here.
Reputation is important. It has as much value here as it has in real life. I have seen accounts with huge amounts of HP down voted to a negative reputation during the often different conflagrations that occur here. While these down votes are often necessary and satisfy the crime, that they affected mostly the account's reputation speaks to how important reputation is.
I used to celebrate my increase in reputation. In fact, back on steemit, I celebrated almost every experience I had then. Maybe it was the novelty of it, of a space that allowed me free reign to my expression, my language. Maybe it was the surprise of the financial impact the space was having on my life. I do know that this space was a celebration for me. It was my home. A safe space to be. I wrote stories that I have not been able to replicate ever since.
I think this is the saddest part of my evolution. I don't give enough props to the hive community in the ways and means with which they emboldened me to write the way I wrote. It is the freedom I found here that has made it difficult for me to conform to accepted notions of what good writing should look like. I am thankful for the lesson. This space was my first writing laboratory and it was from here I developed the aesthetics and simple foundation of all my writing; the deeply interior quality of life, the dark inner world. Without hive, I am not sure I would ever have been able to achieve this.
As a result, I have a reputation for being a good creative writer. I am seen. Achieving the big 70 is therefore an icing on the cake. While my wallet doesn't have the millions, I have in my own little way, however sparse my presence, contributed to the fostering of a creative community that bypasses structures of race, ethnicity, religion, class, politics, gender and whatever bias the human brain can think of. I have given people here something to think about, over and over again. I am glad.
So as a writer with a 70 reputation, I say thank you my dear friends for your love, participation and constant acceptance of my life. I thank you even as I come to realize that this is a process. I am still unveiling, becoming. Hopefully, one day, I will fully unveil and that day, I will fly.
📸: Techno Pova Neo