Almost an Orca

If everything goes as planned, I’ll probably become an orca early next year.
And honestly?
When I started, I only dreamt I'd become a dolphin someday—talk about low expectations! I mean, who aims for "dolphin" when you could accidentally evolve into a killer whale?

Until now, the rules were clear:
write, curate, grow HP, repeat.
It works. It still works. (Though sometimes it feels like I'm just grinding levels in a blockchain RPG where the boss is inflation.)

How did I get there?
I started on Steemit.
Bought and staked a little in the beginning. I posted like crazy for a couple of years—writing and drawing. Farming votes, I admit.

Then the BIG FORK happened. Hive started. I sold all the Steem and moved to Hive, doubling my HP. Essentially, everything I got, I Powered Up. (Because nothing says "smart investor" like turning digital coins into even more digital coins that you can't spend without feeling guilty.)
I try not to be a dick, hardly ever downvote, commenting sometimes.

Writing less and less, auto-curating more with time.

Lazy way, I know.
From a short-term ROI perspective, that’s perfectly rational.
But let’s not kid ourselves: that mindset is also how ecosystems slowly rot.

At higher HP levels, every vote is a signal.
And signals compound—for better or worse. (Mine might be signaling "Hey, I'm napping—wake me if something fun happens.")

50K of HP is only a milestone.
Actually, nothing changes. But even an orca should have New Year's resolutions. (Mine include: eat more fish, avoid getting beached, and maybe vote without autopilot.)

I am aware that my 100% vote is more visible.
So what can I do with it?
I can vote manually more. (Gasp! Manual labor? In this economy?)

If orcas only optimize for themselves, Hive becomes a closed loop:
the same accounts, the same votes, the same recycled rewards.
That ocean feeds whales—until it doesn’t.

My Take (For Now)

I’m not interested in becoming a full-time teacher.
I am interested in not swimming in an empty ocean five years from now.

I brought a few people to this blockchain, but it didn't change their lives. You can't force nobody to do nothing, really. (Tried that once; ended up with awkward silences and unfollows.)

So the strategy probably lives in the middle:

more manual curation
selective support
and some effort put into people who actually want to understand the game.

Because if orcas won’t help shape the ecosystem, Hive will still survive—just smaller and less relevant.
And that’s a bad trade, even for whales.