Lol!! What a perfect question for me because it was @whatsup. You weren't my first interaction but you proved to be the most impactful one. I'm not overstating this.

When I was at about my 80 day mark, with 400 followers (mostly bots or other newbies), with 800 posts and comments, I was still struggling because it seemed like very few people were seeing or reacting to me. And I WAS making an effort AND burning through my best images in the process. I knew I needed to change my approach.

Eventually, I decided this was being passive, I couldn't sit around waiting to be discovered. I needed to search out more active users to connect with, those with more power than I, and those who valued creating original content and those who supported the others around them. And, as a plus, with compatible viewpoints or interests.

And while it was me who found you through one of your posts, it was your response and appreciation that truly made me feel like I had found the way. A place beyond the trending or hot pages.

The ironic thing is, that your post was about your feeling slightly burdened by the daily act of supporting a network. :P And while that was probably true, it may also have been your topic du jour, which we also know can be a burden to find and create.

And whether my comment actually added something important to your thoughts, it certainly felt that way. And a post or two later you even transferred a full steem to me. Not an up-vote, a transfer!! This was 10x what I had earned from other posts or comments. I was slightly embarrassed by your generosity. I'm not sure of the edicate here, do I transfer back a tip with a comment? Do I pay it forward? I decided to thank you and be grateful.

These interactions changed my perspective of steemit and gave me new ideas to use going forward. Now I follow and read your posts and I continue learning new things in the process. And then when I find an opportune time, like now, I jump in and say something.

I know now, that finding the right people here, real people makes all the difference. For me that was you, and I thank you.