In response to a contest recently announced by @zord189, from #PowerHouseCreatives, I decided to write a bit of a recap of my early Steemit experience:

My last Small Time Operator <a href="https://steemit.com/smalltimeoperator/@cindyhartz/small-time-operator-there-s-no-place-like-home
">post</a> was about moving up from Plankton III to Plankton II, and yes it was <strong>HUGE</strong> for me!

<center>![Power House Creatives Logos FINAL.png](https://steemitimages.com/1500x871/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUzYupyiqXfdHSGw7s6BBoVB15GL9ZvhUPnWoaEveXTiQ/Power%20House%20Creatives%20Logos%20FINAL.png)</center>

### We All Need Friends! ###
<b></b>
This little fishy didn’t grow without help from all my new Steemian friends!  When I first landed on the Steemit platform it was very lonely and mystifying!  

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWVjGShkSurMtb9zokdDTDiVk5D6zwvhggznqiuhtrXSH/world%20travelor.jpg</center>

If you have ever traveled solo to another country, had trouble communicating and/or found it hard to figure out how things work; landing in Steemit feels very much the same!

I incorrectly tagged my very first post as “introducemyself,” and it went by mostly unnoticed.  Then I poured a bit of research, lots of thought and good intentions into my second post which did get a little bit of traction, only to bare my soul while hardly anyone was looking in my third post!

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUsgaPL9qYjqzWUDLf6KpCQdCGkVtCLKtFDkrYacq83jQ/help.jpg</center>
This tenacious little fishy started searching a bit more: 
<div class="pull-right">https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXHJjzo4TkGNkfNxfqFgUjPDFdUSfRFzNV82QiqTmECkD/Minnow%20Support.PNG</div>

How do things work? 
Where do I find friends? 
Who knows stuff? 
Luckily for me, I clicked on the Minnow Support link and found some pals in PAL!
![text16.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcvVqhGMbF1KAHTn9Wh8FiRhmpAbiEuAKerVM7ugDnXfX/text16.png)

#### <a href="https://discord.gg/D7t72fM">Plankton community</a> ####
<b></b>
I also followed another Steemian over to the Plankton community and really hit the jackpot there!  The Plankton community is truly committed to helping little fish grow, and every day since I first bought Plankton tokens, I receive a share of the rewards generated from Plankton posts from @mermaidvampire!

And every post I make is upvoted and supported by @mermaidvampire, @plankton.token and several members of the Plankton community!

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSZgTxVEmDrBFzAqHMyZTBuCrc1J5ZUADTx54KDpxG4UR/fish%20school.jpg</center>

As a matter-of-fact, it was the rewards I claimed from bragging about the Plankton community that helped me pass that last threshold and grow to Plankton II.  That post was rallied and supported by @mermaidvampire and the Plankton community, resulting in a sweetened pot of SBD, SP and STEEM!

![text15.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWXynVma7pYo3MCivJ5Cb6Nfae2uMGNt11YGxqysBGqBW/text15.png)

<div class="pull-left">https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSzx3J6FTeCwpJqGQqfsNJgQdCpqAgta2dpttAAtpWUsL/weed.png</div>

In my third week, I was very motivated by seeing the <a href="https://www.weedcash.network/">WeedCash Network </a> make its debut.  

Following their lead, my sixth, seventh and eighth posts were about some of my CBD oil experiences.  It was so much fun to see all those WeedCash rewards come in.  And it still is!  My eighth post was a response to a challenge which resulted in my getting a lifetime supply of one daily upvote from @canna-curate!  Woo hoo!  Love my WeedCash buddies!

![text15.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWXynVma7pYo3MCivJ5Cb6Nfae2uMGNt11YGxqysBGqBW/text15.png)

After looking around, and learning more, I realized I should probably redo my introduction post, and it was received with welcome arms.  By that time, I had Partiko, and my phone was blowing up with notifications!  All the upvotes, resteems, mentions, comments and support almost blew me out of the water!  I felt honored, I felt accepted, and I was amazed at the embrace that post received from the Steemit community!  

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXZqJj1qpZcjGM3azfERzR7TXC1P1UEmSPUb2qQJ7M1vf/water%20explosion.jpg</center>

It was at that time that #OCD gave me a huge gift and I got a nice SP delegation and my vote slider!  #Curie gave me recognition and a rewarding pat on the back!  By this time, #Helpiecake had already served up several delicious pastries of support.  #HeyHaveYaMet introduced me to even more folks!  I was amazed and it was a feeding frenzy for me!

My following posts also wrangled a little recognition and support, but not nearly what I had experienced with my redux introduction post.  I thought to myself; “Hey, where did everybody go?” A good lot of them came back to support one of my Fairy Tale posts, but most quickly swam away again!

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmdjia4ccMQPjHMcvBqosEJeSLu6F5UQiU7A9HqkZzQyvd/alone.jpg</center>

It is a peculiar feeling to have everyone come to meet you, congratulate and quickly propel you up, and then quietly leave you on your own again.  Steemit was again imitating life.  You come in this world alone, and you leave it alone.  Could it be that Steemit is where I had my fifteen minutes of fame, and now I was already dead in the water?

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmdNdZNrf9URYq3UWRnq9Cu25T47wXkMAapinukbPvHnt4/fishie.png</center>

This persistent little fishy would not give up!  I could not give up.  As luck and research would have it, I followed @benedict08 to the Plankton community, and I found great support! It wasn’t scary now that I had other little fish to swim – side by side.  

As I mentioned in a previous <a href="https://steemit.com/smalltimeoperator/@cindyhartz/small-time-operator-there-s-no-place-like-home
">post</a>, the Plankton community made me feel like I had found a home!

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbwGG6anS6MmZmJx7H7oPWG9sB88NotPiGJH285xii68m/Plankton%20home.jpg</center><center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTcCpfvt3qLPFsggEY8xLMG3iJQs4ERkqU9xHaUy5cLQZ/Plankton%20footer.gif</center><center><i>Plankton gif created by @gerber</i></center>

A bit later, I fortunately stumbled upon another great community - #PowerHouseCreatives (PHC)!  I responded to a post announcing that PHC was taking applications for new members.  

My application was accepted and every day I am getting to know the PHC members a little more.  We vote and comment on each other’s posts, and it is great to learn we have so much  in common, even if we are on opposite sides of the planet!

<center>https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmf8tuHv6GYCDjMr49qFP8fhsUUirDG51pei72PP2y929y/computer%20friends.jpg</center><center><i>All photographs are from pixabay!</i></center>

There is more to share and there will always be more as we all go swimming toward an unknown future.  I will keep you posted with my Small Time Operator posts!

<center>![Power House Creatives Logos FINAL.png](https://steemitimages.com/1500x871/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmUzYupyiqXfdHSGw7s6BBoVB15GL9ZvhUPnWoaEveXTiQ/Power%20House%20Creatives%20Logos%20FINAL.png)</center>

Please visit me often, reach out if you have questions about being a 2019 Steemit newb!  It is easier when you have a guide or reassurance as you swim along in this vast body of Steemit!  One thing for sure, Steemit is better when we all help each other!

<center>![PHC-Footer-05.gif](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmZMTckzqpfBShZSELLFNotjm43vJfjg79Ynz4ndB3i86a/PHC-Footer-05.gif)</center>