Right on cue: my first Hive Birthday happened just as I'm finding my footing here and getting into a comfortable content creation and curation rhythm. Everything's falling into place.

It's nice to be able to say that about at least one aspect of our lives! I can only speak for myself, of course, but this #Hive ecosystem has played a huge role in keeping me sane over the last fifteen months, as the world willingly lost its marbles.

So this @hivebuzz announcement (above) on my most recent post had a shiny, revelatory ring to it... I knew it was coming up sometime this month, but I wasn't focused on it. It made me a very happy Hivian indeed!

(I've said it before, but the achievements and badges are an invaluable part of the Hive experience and we should all give Hivebuzz the props they deserve. Make sure you check out YOUR OWN ACHIEVEMENTS if you haven't already.)

The Nutshell: Hive is Mine.

Or it's OURS... that's what I mean. We control our own accounts, and we can actually help to shape our experience here. Hell... if you don't find what you're looking for, you can build it yourself-- a new Hive #tribe, or even an entirely new front-end!

I'm not at that level, and I'm loving what other brilliant folks are doing anyway, so I'll just stick to being an active, thoughtful user... for now. Who knows what the future holds! That's the beauty of this newfound, open-source playground.

And that's why a celebration is in order...

I'm a One-Year-Old Hivian!

Just a baby still, and I have A LOT left to learn... but I've come a long way: five #HivePUD badges in a row and running, a diverse collection of decent #HiveEngine token stakes, a growing archive of solid content (in my humble opinion) and a list of blossoming relationships with tribe/game communities and individual users.

And if I can safely throw out a soft teaser: I'm working on something that just might involve Hive, humour, merch and HIVEPAY-- an underappreciated WooCommerce plugin developed by @hivepay-io. It might not suck... updates incoming shortly.

IMAGE SOURCE

ThatCryptoDave: Talking Too Much Since 2020.

Yeah, now I'm rambling. I know... I've done that a lot over the last year. Sorry.

But you could've stopped reading anytime after I said something ridiculous like "The Nutshell" and yet here you are! Admit it: you love me. I feel the warm fuzzies in my tummy (but maybe that's just the champagne). See... you're still here!

You're the best. Group hug.

Come find me at any of my usual haunts... you know, for your hug. Or if you'd rather not embrace a perfect stranger, I get it (you monster). We can take it slow and just get to know each other. How old are you here on Hive? If you're brand new, hugs are actually MANDATORY. (Who is that behind you?)