Hello Steemers

Its been quite a day making this first post. If you know me personally, I always have something to say, writing this introduction not so much. I discovered Steem on my quest to learn what the heck a blockchain is. I'm still not sure, although I gather this post will be stored on a blockchain, so I'll call this a step in the right direction.

I usually don't make New Year's resolutions, because typically they turn into a new lie every year. However this year I resolve to do hard things, let new learning be easy, and share more.

I'll be sure to let you know when I start training for a marathon. Mile one tomorrow maybe!

At some point, I'll share the whole story about becoming the Scratch Clown. I left a six-figure salary, risking my marriage and career to travel America and interview people about playing scratch lottery. I know it sounds crazy. I guess you could say it was a mid-life crisis, but it's not a decision I regret.

Most people I interviewed were not interested in sharing there stories with a stranger; they only wanted me to tell them how to win. The few that shared their stories amazed me and quite possibly changed my life.

“Their WHY”

The most rewarding part of my journey was learning their whys. Why people wanted to win. What they thought it might accomplish. How it would change their lives. How optimistic they are about their futures.

I set out to make a lot of money perfecting an algorithm I was writing that could help players make better choices when playing, essentially a three-dimensional decision tree. I’ll stop short of calling it artificial intelligence. I was impressed with myself, but something happened along the way; I suddenly realized that there is an incredible amount of shame and guilt that people feel about their playing habit or simply their station in life. It caused me to re-evaluate my own why. Why did I want to be successful? Why did I want to be a lottery winner? If I played for six months without a losing day? How many unaware players lost as a direct result of my success? Unsettling . Its not all about winning any more

I have a radical idea. I want to build a community where players share information. I will share what I learned. I may even share some winnings with followers. What do you think?