Global Homestead Collective Interview!!

in #ghsc6 years ago


Alright! Today the Global Homestead Collective proudly presents a special post all about...

@simplymike!


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1.) Would you consider yourself more of a hunter or a gatherer?

Definitely a gatherer. Animals are my weakness. I would never be able to kill an animal on purpose. I love to eat meat, but if I would have to kill animals myself to be able to eat meat, I would become a vegetarian instantly. I realize it’s kind of hypocrite. After all, for me to be able to eat meat, an animal has got to die.

When my girlfriend wanted chickens earlier this year, I agreed. But she had to promise me that when hey would die, we would not eat them. Instead, I will be giving them a proper burial.

2.) Crayola just added you to the crayon box, what color are you?

I would probably be a rainbow crayon. I have a pretty colorful character, and I like change and variation. I woud probably get bored pretty fast by being only one color.

3.) What has inspired you the most to live a self-reliant life?

Just to be clear, I do not live a self-reliant life all year long. I do grow my own food during late spring and summer, but our Belgian climate doesn’t allow me to do so during winter. The only things my garden can provide me with these days are Jerusalem and Chinese Artichokes. I also have some common corn salad and some mustard leaves growing, but that’s not enough to say I live a self-reliant life.

4.) You've been given an elephant. You can't give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?

Hahaha, that’s defintiely a question I didn’t expect. I did give it some serious thought, and I must admit I don’t have a clue. I would probably take it for a walk around the village. I like to do things that are out of the ordinary and transfix people, so that would be a perfect way to achieve that.

Other than that, I really don’t know. My garden is not big enough to give an elephant the room it needs, so it would be really sad to keep it.

5.) If you were to walk outside right now and find 1 million dollars what would you do with it?

I would probably invest part of it in crypto. Also, I would pay off my girlfriend’s mortgage. I’d help some friends to get out of the financial troubles they are in. But I wouldn’t make any drastic changes to the way I live now. It would be a dream come through, because it would mean I would never have to go back to work anymore. I’m a teacher by profession, and I love teaching, but I hate having to follow the ‘rules’ society expects me to follow. So if I would get a chance to avoid having to integrate into society again, I would be very happy to take it.

6.) What's your ideal climate and terrain?

I love Belgium, and there’s no way i want to leave here, but it must be great to live ina country where year-round gardening is possible. It doesn’t have to be on the other side of the world (too hot in summer), but I’d settle for the South of Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece.

A small piece of land would be perfect. Just big enough to have enough space to do what I like most: experiment with all kinds of out-of-the-ordinary fruits and veggies.

7.) What was the last gift you gave someone?

I assume you’re refrerring to material gifts. In that case, my girlfriend is a big fan of the series Orange Is The New Black, so I got her the book ‘Out of Orange’ by Cleary Wolters, wich tells the story the series is based on.

8.) How long would you say you've considered yourself to be self-reliant?

As I explained before, I don’t consider myself to be self-reliant. Gardening is more of a hobby than a necessity to me. It all started with nothing more than a single square foot garden bed 4 or 5 years ago. Ever since, it has grown out of proportion. After claiming almost the entire backyard, I started using the front yard too last season.

My love for experimenting with fruits and veggies I don’t know isn’t really beneficial when it comes to living a self-reliant life during summer. Every year, I waste quite some time and space growing food of which I’m not 100% sure if it will actually thrive in our climate, nor if we will like the taste of it.

Some of those experiments are a huge success – this year we have more than enough Chinese Artichokes and Yacon roots to last us through winter – but that is not always the case. Two seasons ago, we gave away our entire harvest of tomatillos, because we both thought they were disgusting.

Becoming self-reliant is not my goal, because that would require proper planning and organization, while my garden is my stress-free zone, the only place in the world I manage to be spontaneous and love to experiment with new things, without being held back by the fear that something might fail.

In order to be self-reliant, you need to know what you’re doing and when to do it. You don’t have the luxury to make mistakes and risk losing an entire harvest.

In my case, half of the time I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, because I’m growing things only a handful of other people grow here. Most of the time, I just follow my intuition. Sometimes that turns out great, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m at peace with that.

9.) How long have you been on Steemit?

I created my first SteemIt account in July 2017, but never used it until a couple of months later. I think it was only by the end of October 2017 that I started using my account.
Initially, I had signed up with an impossible username, and after mistyping it myself for the 100th time, I decided to create a new account with a new, easy to remember username. That’s why my current account was only created in January 2018.

But I was already here during the crypto bull run in December 2017, when Steem reached it’s ATH.

10.) How did you hear about Steemit?

My story is a little different than everyone else’s. After spending 15 years in internet marketing, I got really tired of it. A couple of months before, I inherited some money and since I don’t trust banks that much, I was looking for an opportunity to invest some of it. I was about to invest in gold when someone told me about Bitcoin.

Back then, the price of Bitcoin was still a lot lower than it is now, and after informing myself a bit more, I decided to go ahead and invest. That’s how I was introduced to the world of crypto. Since I had quit my marketing biz, I spent all the free time I had trying to learn how everything worked.

When the price of bitcoin started to go up, I used my profits to diversify my portfolio.

At one point, I was on the lookout for promising, low-cost coins, and I stumbled upon Steem. I decided to buy some. It wasn’t until I wanted to move the Steem I bought out of the exchange and into a wallet, that I found out about SteemIt.

11.) With price of Steem being so low, what keeps you coming back?

That’s an easy one :0)

First, I believe in blockchain technology. All the possibilities make mass adoption inevitable. It’s going to take some time and effort, but I’m convinced blockchain tech is the future. Maybe the Steem blockchain is not one of the ones to survive, but I do think it stands a fair chance.

But the main reason I’m still here, and not on any other blockchain, is – surprise, surprise – the community. 2018 has been a pretty rough year for me, and often SteemIt was the only ray of light in my life.

If you would have told me 2 years ago I would feel such an emotional attachment to people living on the other side of the world, and even consider many of them to be my frends – even though I never met them -, I would have laughed and walked away.

Still, that’s exactly what happened.

I’ve met so many people here - all with a completely different background - and every single one of them has had an impact on me and my life in one way or the other.
I’ve shared things with people here that I haven’t shared with anyone before. During these 14 months, I laughed, I cried, I cursed, I ranted… and always there was someone there for me.

A community like the one here on SteemIt is unique. I’ve been on many platforms, but I have never experienced anything that comes even close to what it’s like to be a part of this community.
I’m not such a community-minded person in real life, mainly because I don’t like expectations and obligations, but SteemIt has thought me that a community can rise above those things.

12.) Who has been the most inspirational for you on this platform?

Everyone I’ve come across has been an inspiration to me. I still meet new people who are an inspiration to me every day.

I’m doing others injustice by naming only one, but I assume it won’t be a surprise to anyone that if I have to name one, it’s @davemccoy. During my first months here, I was flying solo, and I was completely lost. If Dave hadn’t picked me up and invited me to join the @newbieresteemday initiative he and @mudcat36 just started, I probably wouldn’t be here anymore. He was the one who showed me that small things can make a huge difference and that anything is possible if you believe in yourself.

Up until today, Dave is still my anchor. Whenever I’m lost, or I need advice or just someoe to talk to, he’s always there.

I wouldn’t be who I am today i fit weren’t for him.

13.) Can we find your work on any other platforms?

I cross-post to a lot of other platforms, but SteemIt takes up all my time.

14.) Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?

Lol, I’m really curious who came up with this question, and why. I don’t think I would want to fight either. I’m not the fighting type. I think I’ll just turn around and take a different route.

15.) If the GHSC were a physical location, full everything homestead and self-reliant, where would you find yourself the most?

In the greenhouse,no doubt about that.

16.) If you could interview anyone within the self-reliant community, on Steemit or otherwise, who would it be?

I must admit I don’t know a whole lot of members of the community. I simply don’t have the time to be an active member. It’s such a shame @headchange isn’t around anymore – I’d love to interview her. I was going through the list of members, and saw quite a few intersting names on there.

If I had to choose one, it would be @frejafri.
I think I met her through one of my gardening challenges. She was living a nomad life in an amazing looking van. Later, she moved to Denmark and had big plans with a piece of lans she bought.

I actually haven’t been in touch with her for a while, but I’m really curious to know more about her adventures.

17.) If you were in charge of the GHSC mess hall for a day, what would you feed us all?

French fries and steak. If you’re not Belgian, you don’t know how real French fries are supposed to taste. (I actually don’t know why they are called French fries, since their typically Belgian)

That’s probably not the answer you were looking for or expecting, lol

18.) Which animal would make the best type of president if the animal kingdom ever rises up and takes over?

A dog, maybe. Dogs are loyal and honest. It would be nice, for a change.

19.) Has there been one thing in particular you've learned about yourself this past year?

I’ve learned loads of things, and I’m learning new things every day. I can’t even start to list everything I’ve learned.

I consider life as one big, neverending learning process and I try to become a better version of myself every day.

20.) If you could meet any one person in the GHSC community who would it be?

@goldendawne, for sure. :0)

She’s like the guru of gadening for me, lol.

Another great interview! I was really impressed by how long and thoughtful some of the answers were! Thank you @simplymike for letting us in a little bit and seeing more your world!

If you enjoyed this interview and saw questions you liked or know of any you would like to see, please let me know in the comments!


Like always, the Global Homestead Collective is here to Unite, Educate and Encourage! Please join us on discord, and be apart of this amazing community! We couldn't do it any of this without you!

Much love,

Stacie D
@freedomtowrite


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Join Us On Discord. https://discord.gg/hPJs5Rb

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Haha. Yes awesome interview!!! Sorry you guys, this is the first one I read thus far in the series of interviews... 😶!

I like your questions @Freedomtowrite.

Hey nice to meet you @Simplymike. I am on your side with the whole 1 million dollar thing for sure. I know I wouldn't have to "work" again, at least not for someone else and my friends and family would be helped out!

I am.curious to know what chinese artichokes are now, thanks for the introduction... I'll look that up soon. And I'd take you up on the french fries for sure!

Great interview..

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you! This has been so much fun!

Thanks for doing this, @freedomtowrite.
You have no idea how big of an achievement it is that you got me to do this, lol. But I'm glad I did.

I didn't really understand why you asked me, out of all people. I only realized a minute ago that I had read last week's interview with @fionasfavourites, and that she was the one that mentioned my name.

Thanks for teaching me there's nothing wrong with opening up a bit :0)

I, too, am learning that opening up a bit is not as scary as I used to think. And it can be quite rewarding

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Thats how AI wants you to think.

Nope. It's not about AI, it's about how it's articulated to protect people you love and it's about how people engage (or not) with what you've written. It's possible to write about personal stuff without revealing intimacies. It's a fine line and finer for some than others.

I'm so glad you participated! Thank you again for coming out of your comfort zone. When you are surrounded by friends, it makes it easier!

I just love to read @simplymike answers.. especially about the elephant😂😂

Haha, that elephant is one of my favorite questions!

What would you have done with it, @cicisaja? Eat it? (Plz say no...)

I will pet the elephant @simplymike 😉 I'll make a campaign to build a city jungle for the elephant😊 working with the conservation institution to find another one so it won't feel lonely😊 I will let the kids get to know and love the elephant too... and named it "Simply"😆

Hahaha, now that is the way to treat an elephant! I wasn't that creative,lol.
Are you sure about that name? It sounds more like a name for amouse than for an elephant, lol.
But thanks for the compliment!

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Simply is nicest than Rosa I think 😆 we have a baby elephant that saved from a deadly traps after her mother got killed by stupid hunters😢 if you know a cartoon movie about elephant kingdom called Babar, I'd like to name my elephant Simply because it just simply to said but not simply to forget.

half of the time I don’t have a clue what I’m doing

Love this answer @simplymike, that's me when it comes to gardening!

Which animal would make the best type of president if the animal kingdom ever rises up and takes over?

Perfect question! I don't think there can be any wrong answer to this. How can they make any worse job of it than people have?

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That's why I love my garden so much. I have a tendency to overthink everything in life. I won't do anything until I have considered all the consequences (especially the negative ones). I get pretty upset if I can't get something done, and I'm terrified of failing.

But in my garden, none of that is true. I just follow my gut feeling, and if things don't work out, then at least I 've learned how it's not supposed to be done, and I try again with the same enthusiasm the next time. It's the only time in my life I can turn off my mind and just act without thinking too much.
The funny thing is that most things work out just fine. There are only few things that don't.

Now if only I would be able to remember that and would be able to put it into practice all the times that I'm not in my garden, lol - so far, no luck :0)

The question about the president was a tricky one. I think I re-wrote my answer 10 times, simply because my initial idea was not very innocent, and I didn't want to start a political debate here :0)

Ah @simplymike I am so glad you took up the challenge. Much of what you said resonated for me, particularly the Steemit community.

And thanks to @ghsc for this series 😁

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I'm glad I took the challenge too. I kind of surprised myself by doing it, because I'm not really someone who talks easily. I know it doesn't really show on SteemIt, but I'm actually pretty introvert and shy.

But how could I resist an interview in which I had to think about what I would do with an elephant, and weigh off whether i would rather fight duck-sized horses, or horse-sized ducks, lol.

I was surprised, though, because I'm not really an active member of the community (I'm not an active member of any community, for all that matters). I even had to go look inside the Discord channel to find out who would be someone I'd want to interview.

Oh, now I remember... it was you! I did read last week's interview, because I received a notification that my name was mentioned. I read it all the way through, because you were the one who was interviewed. And you mentioned me as the person you'd want to interview. Now I get it...
LOL, I can be so slow sometimes...

I read it all the way through, because you were the one who was interviewed.

Wow! That is a compliment. I figured that you are not "out there" so am delighted you rose to the challenge. I have no idea why I was selected and like you, had to work out who I'd interview. Good choice with @goldendawne.

Oh, and you dealt with the elephant question much better than I! lol

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I will need to check on what you would have done with the elephant. I think the only thing worse you could have done was eat it...I really hope that's not the case, because if so, I will be traumatized for life ;0)

Wahahaha! Definitely not!

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You are welcome! It has, by far, been one of the most fun things we've done. I really love getting to know everyone better.

Wow.... I love the interview with @simplymike because it tells me even more about such a special lady. I know she said some really terrific things about me, and I'm incredibly touched by them. As anyone who has taken the time to know @simplymike can tell you, she is strong, kind-hearted, and independent. When she says something, you can believe it.

Thank you for having this interview and thank you @simplymike for letting us get to know you just a little bit better! ;)

ps... and thank you @simplymike for putting a smile on my face!

You seem to be doing of smiling these last couple of days, lol.
And then I even left out the most important part, because I couldn't find the right words for it.
But I'll try - maybe you will keep on smiling a little longer then.

For the first couple of months, I kept calling you 'chief', remember?
I felt - an I still feel - that I can learn a whole lot from you.
But these last couple of weeks, idk, something changed. Maybe I changed, because your encouragement finally got through to me. Maybe it has been for you like this all the time, but only recently I actually starting to feel like we're equals :0)

I can't thank you enough for believing in me, right from the start. For the first time in my life, I'm actually starting to believe in myself... And you've been playing big part in that.

Yes that will DEFINITELY keep the smile on my face! :D ...

And that's wonderful to hear. You should definitely believe in yourself because you truly are wonderful. I've observed you as a friend for over a year now and you have never ceased to amaze me. My thoughts about your quality are real and earned entirely by you. I'm glad to see you can see it for yourself now :D

ps...I have never seen you as anything other than my equal. I have always viewed you as a talented, smart, fun, and caring individual and those are the people that I like to hang out with! ;)

Now you are making me blush...
:0)

she is strong, kind-hearted, and independent. When she says something, you can believe it.

That is exactly my experience of @simplymike who reached out to me when I was hacked after being phished last year.

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Shame on me, because I don't even remember that. Unlesw you were the person tvat started over with anew account...
I reqched out to so.many people at the time...

strong, kind-hearted and indeprendent

That is so funny to jhear people say that about me, because except for the kind-hearted part, it is definitely not how I think about myself, lol
But thanks for the compliment :0)

Nope. No new account. Lol. No worries that you don't remember. Accept the compliment. Good, sometimes to see how others see us. 😉

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Thanks for pointing it out to me again. I always do that: when I get a compliment, instead of just saying 'thank you', I start saying things to make clear people are wrong, lol.
I'm working on it, but as you can see, I haven't mastered the skill of accepting compliments yet :0)

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Me neither. Still learning ;)

I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview! With all of your kind words, I can't wait to get to know her better!

You will really like her! Great job again! :)

Superb and very honest! You won me over with your thoughts on animals 😁 Glad to meet you @simplymike 👋🏻

Likewise, @thistle-rock.
Everyone thinks I'm a bit weird because of these thoughts about animals.
Glad to find out that I'm not the odd man out here :0)

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Great interview! It is nice to get to know you @simplymike.

Thanks. When Stacie asked me to do the interview, I hesitated, though. I prefer to put the focus on other people instead of myself. I think I've never been this open about myself before... it is a bit of a weird feeling to know this is all over Steemit now...
But in the end, I'm glad I did it :0)

Yeah! That is wonderful. Sharing can be fun haha it will all be for the good! Be well.

Great interview and great questions. Dammit, ducks and elephants - that's one crazy homestead nightmare. @simplymike, you could have said you'd use elephant poop for compost! I wonder how that'd go?

Loved reading this, your passion for STeemit comes across and I really felt kinda teary when you were talking about the people here that make your day when you are down - i love Steemit for this.

thanks @ghscolletive for bringing us these interviews, I've really been enjoying them!

hahaha, I did mention using the poop for compost to my girlfriend while I was writing, but for some reason I forgot to write it down. I could only think of the poor elephant who would only be able to take 3 steps forward and 3 steps back in our garden.

I loved the question, and I think I spent more than half an hour discussing it with my girlfriend, lol.

when you were talking about the people here that make your day when you are down

I've been living on my bed for almost a year now. These last couple of months, I'm able to do go out every once in a while, but never for too long. I've had 2 back surgeries this year, and for months I didn't see anything but the 4 walls of my bedroom. SteemIt was my only escape from reality, and it really saved me from going crazy, lol. I can't believe how many people were prepared to read my rants, and did not try to make me think things weren't as bad as I thought they were. They just listened, and understood. That was more than a lot of my real-life friends were doing.
I know lots of people are leaving and are trying their luck on other platforms, but to me, this place is home...

I totally hear you. People are so supportive and some have become genuine friendships. I have signed up for other things but get bored so quickly I hightail it back HOME. Xxx

It must have been tough bedridden for that long. Hopefully with spring arpund the corner you can get back in the garden and it will be a much, much different year.

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