Memories make us who we are. With each memory we make we create a new passage in our book of life. Shared memories can also allow us to learn about other cultures, generations, and important historic events much better and more accurately than history books.
As I venture further into middle age I also see how fragile memories really are. My father, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about a year ago, struggles to remember on bad days. On good days he still sometimes tells me a story from his past that I’d never heard of and, for me, it’s like striking gold. Some of the stories he tells me, like hitchhiking across the country and taking odd jobs along the way to survive just wouldn’t happen today.
A few weeks ago my wife Raymi, @dougkarr, and I were sitting at our neighborhood bar enjoying a drink or three on a gloomy day when the seed for the idea of this project was born. We were discussing how different childhood was in the 1970’s and sharing harrowing childhood memories that would likely never happen today in this era of helmets, iPads, and play dates.
I had never really thought of it before but childhood in the seventies was a strange mashup of strict discipline (when needed) and unbridled freedom most of the time. This made for some interesting adventures and a fair share of character-building in the form of bumps, bruises, and broken bones.
The world has changed so drastically in the past few decades and will change even more quickly in the decades to come.
How Does Blockchain Enter into this Equation?
Blockchain is an immutable ledger capable of storing data (i.e., these memories) in a decentralized and searchable way, theoretically forever. Can we say match made in heaven?
Rules of Engagement
- Share any significant memory you’d like to. Think about things that have shaped who you are or may be unique in some way. Think about memories you’d like your great-great-grandchildren to read about....now write posts about these memories in your Steemit blog.
- Use proper tags (see below)
- Share a link to this post in all of your Blockchain Memory Project posts so others can find the rules.
- Share your posts with your friends and family on external social media outlets (optional but encouraged).
The Key is in the Tags!
We want your memories to live on forever. We also want those memories to be searchable by those who might be looking for them in the future.
For this reason, I suggest the following tags for your first four - “Story Life Blog BlockchainMemoryProject”.
Your last tag should be very specific to what you’re writing about in your post, something that will help people who are searching for it on the internet.
I'll be sharing memories of my own along the way.
Prizes
Each month I will comb through the posts tagged with “BlockchainMemoryProject” and choose my favorites. The post owners will receive a surprise in their wallet...a portion of a monthly prize of 10 Steem! Note: all rules of engagement must be followed for your post to qualify.
As always, I thank you for reading.
Yours in the Chain,
Eric
(Gifs sourced from Giphy.com)
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Really interesting, in my opinion memories are nothing but the evolution of our thoughts most of the times and in my opinion our brain is an great technology because we have two fields in the Brain as Conscious and Sub Conscious and both have diversified actions but subconscious mind dominates the most because it covers the 90% of memory of our brain and remaining 10% is holding by the Conscious brain, i am telling all these details because i want to say that our current moments can become great memories of tomorrow but we are facing so much problems in life and our life perishable then let's write our stories on Blockchain Technology where possibly it will be stored for the ever. Thanks for sharing this post with us and it was really interesting to read, keep up the great work and wishing you an great day. Stay blessed. 🙂
An amazing idea for a project, I'm sure we will chat more about this :D
Thank you my friend! Hopefully this catches on, I like the potential in it.
I love this idea and intend to write the story of a memory later today. I always appreciate your writing prompts :)
Thank you @colinhoward! So glad you're enjoying the prompts. I hope this one takes on a life of its own and has some staying power. I'm looking forward to reading yours!
https://steemit.com/story/@colinhoward/the-first-time-i-did-standup
Here is the link to my story :)
Very good idea dear friend , am not good in english and not a good writer like you , so I can't participate in it .
Thank you @spiritualpower! Have you tried Google Translate? Sometimes I'll use it to translate my responses to Steemit comments that people leave in other languages. Steemit's Russian counterpart Golos also has translation built into their platform. You may want to try Google Translate and see if it works for you..
I love your idea. It is the reason why I was attracted to Steemit, as I wrote in my first post. For a historian like myself, the past is almost alive, and I will certainly try to make a (few) post(s) about my youth (in the fifties and sixties) myself.
Thank you, @clio! I can't wait to read your additions to the project.
This is such a wonderful and well executed initiative @ericvancewalton! Can’t wait to start reading these and contributing my own. Already scratching at the memory banks. Come on axons and neurons do your thing :-) Exciting!
Thank you my friend! I'm sure you have a plethora of good ones to share. The one about the boat you told us at the bar is pretty epic.
This is a really fun project Eric and I really look forward to reading contributing posts.
Using this as an impetus for inspiring stories/memories, there will surely be some really rich writing!
Thanks @natureofbeing! When I think about some of my experiences from childhood the world has changed so much that it seems like it took place centuries ago. We used to go to a dime store as children and buy an entire bag of candy for $1. Video games didn't really arrive enmasse until the early 80's so during those elementary school summer vacations it was just us, the outdoors and our imaginations. I don't think any generation will ever experience that again. How lucky were we?
I hear you! I too have always been so grateful to grow up with that immense freedom (neglect ;-) and natural consequences that you referred to and SO much time romping around with my friends building stuff, making up games, being silly and eating tons of candy. And we're especially lucky to have had that AND such powerful and profound technical evolutions so here we are on blockchain technology. Pretty far out!
Very interesting idea That would be perfect idea for providing steemit blockchain it is important to design incentive for people to uproot "old" content and still have the author get compensated for that.thanks for sharing keep it up Great work for every one
Hmmm..I have so many interesting memories I am fond of, so gotta start recollecting and writing them down! Thanks for this movement @ericvancewalton. 😄 You've just added one great reason for Steemit to stay for life! Crossing my fingers for that!
On a side note, it's true during the good ol' days we are unbridled and fearless. Sprinting from one end to the other, playing until we pass out. Those were glory days! Now the world is much complicated. Kids don't do that anymore, and instead stick their eyes on the screens and play video games.
You're welcome @michelleast! I'm looking forward to reading some of your contributions!
Eric, I'm so sorry about your dad. It is so hard to see the memory fade in a loved one.
I like your Idea of Steemit Blockchain Memory Project. I will resteem and hopefully make a contribution.
Thank you @lakshmi! We're very lucky because he has more good days than bad. He's on a medication now that's keeping him very stable. Can't wait to see your contributions!
That is good to hear. It is important to know that good and happy times together even if not remembered have a positive impact on health and mood. It seems like the body remembers even if the mind doesn't.
This is a great initiative. I have a couple of experience I would love to share myself. I think I'll make it a series, I had thought of making a novel out of my life experience but you have given me a new idea now. Let's see what we will get out of it.
Thank you! I'm excited to see what you're going to write about @lordjames.
I feel its very important for the real quality of steemit posts to flourish that there needs to be a long term incentive for continual value of posts.
ITs important to design incentive for people to uproot "old" content and still have the author get compensated for that. This will inspire much more in depth content and bigger scope projects of development and discourage the quick post to keep active and get more quick votes.
Interesting idea. I think many have something to remember. Thank you for your contribution @ericvancewalton
Great idea. I've found myelf in the situation of being unable to share with my kids stories about our family - there's things I have forgotten, things I did not pay attention being a kid myself. As I was reading your words on childhood decades ago I had a flashback a long forgotten school-yard. I'll sort through my memories to see what would be worth having on the blockchain.
I appreciate it, @ladyrebecca. That is so incredible that you had that flashback. Typically those lead to more.
Excellent idea Eric, kind of what I came here for to begin with , so I just need to remember the tags and drill down to one story at a time. Which is sometimes a challenge for this old man.
Thank you, @sultnpapper. Looking forward to reading what you have to write about. My first post might be about the ramps we made in the alley with plywood and concrete blocks. We would get about a half block head start and hit that flimsy ramp at about 15 mph or so with our BMX bikes. We'd go sailing through the air...I think the neighborhood record for length was 13 trashcan lids. It's a miracle I survived childhood without brain damage.
I have some of the stories from my youth that could be shared and there are a few that will never be told. But one of my favorite ones is when I was 16 and working in the local park during the summer. I leave at that for right now.
There is actually no telling if you survived it without damage for sure is there? Hell, you might could have been the next Nicholas Tesla, instead of just a great writer.
Haha, I have a few that will never be told either. Some things are best left unsaid. You make a good point, @sultnpapper! Who knows the damage we suffered? I remember jumping out of a swing on a neighborhood playground when I was 10 or so. I had a compound fracture and walked about a quarter mile home like that. There were no cell phones back then so there wasn't much choice.
Your fracture story reminds me of the time I was playing basketball at the local school yard. I was playing some older boys who were much taller than me and while going up for a rebound on a missed shot , a taller boy was coming down right over top of me with his mouth open, his two front teeth planted in my head and blood was going everywhere, it looked way worse than it was because I was wearing a white tee shirt. I also had to walk home with blood streaming down my face and shirt.
One lady who lived about a block away was nice enough to walk with me home from when I passed her house, she was afraid I might bleed out before I got there I guess. It only took three stitches but it required that the shave that portion of my hair so that next morning I ended up with a complete buzz cut.
Thanks for stimulating the memory.
Wow, that sounds like something that would've happened in our neighborhood! I bet you looked like you were in a horror movie walking around with that blood-stained shirt! These days 911 would have been called in 2 seconds. ; )
No doubt about if that happened today, I would have been laid on the ground and then transported by ambulance to the hospital, with a neck brace, no doubt about it.
Great idea..
I was thinking what to write next , you've given me an idea..
I'll definitely contribute to this
Thanks @ericvancewalton
Thank you! Awesome! Can't wait to read it.
I'm very interesting to see your excellent idea to developing every your followers. I'll hope join more steemians with this community. Very easily understand rules and instructions there, hope to participate. #blockchainmemoryproject hash tag showing improve our platform in future. Thanks for showing best succeed way to us @ericvancewalton.
Thanks! I hope you participate @kingsberry!
I love this idea, thank you. As someone who had a family member suffer from Alzheimer's and worry about having my parents and myself go through the same, this concept will be very helpful someday. Recording a video can also be an alternative. Good day!
Thanks @johannrandall. I'm sorry to hear about your relative. I did the 23andMe DNA test and actually found out that our whole family (paternal side) has an increased risk for Alzheimer's. Shortly after my father was diagnosed his older sister (my aunt) was as well. From the research I've done a few cups of coffee per day are a good preventative measure to protect your brain. The videos are a wonderful idea too!
It's all good @ericvancewalton. Yeah, I think prevention is key. Knowing that you have that gene (Apoe4 ?) will probably keep you on your toes on keeping you brain healthy. I have also seen a TED talk where the speaker said, no matter if you have the gene or not, as long as you keep your diet in check you'll cut your chances of getting Alzheimer's by a significant amount. He said, less saturated fat and more color in diet.
That's great to know that diet has that large of an effect. Thanks!
Thank you for the amazing work and vision.
I have a question. Are Communities still a top priority for the Steemit team? Or are you planning on implementing the Communities functionality after the SMTs?
Thank you! Communities are still very much in the works. I'm unsure of the timeline for rollout but I would expect it would happen sometime this year.
BlockchainMemoryProject being very powerful community and price giving, appreciated. I'm 32 years old and I felt currently children haven't best childhood. But my childhood felt awesomely my life, playing, swimming, dancing etc... But currently situation is very bad. Every kids using tabs, IPads, laptops and smart phones. They cannot find parents love. Find love some dating sites.
I gonna join this community and need to remind my childhood much for comparison.@ericvancewalton, That would be perfect idea for providing steemit blockchain ans known everyone various memorable history. Absolutely
Thank you, @madushanka. I agree with you. Children these days (and adults) are craving attention from their loved ones. The dark side of mobile devices is that they are so highly addictive and damaging to our society. I fully expect the largest regret of our generation will be not paying enough attention to the things that matter.
Each memory learn us new passage for our life book. Very well written dear Eric
Thanks
Well sorry to hear about your father ,well both good and bad times does teaches us many things that becomes memories that we cherish .While I do like your way of thinking and preserving those moments via the Blockchain !
This sounds like a very good idea. We should try this out for our group.
Thank you! That would be fabulous @aclevo.
It is so sad that so many memories are lost with loved ones not with us any longer or the older generation not able to remember stuff!
I actually started doing a family tree in my high school years, that notebook was lost in a move and much of the valuable info that I managed to gather, is gone forever!Oh yay this is awesome, I've been having fun doing the #iwasakid challenge, definitely want to do this one. I'm a huge sentimentalist and love sharing good memories, but it's also important for families to have some sort of record of the trials and tribulations the family's gone through, where they've come from etc etc. Awesome idea to have it all stored on the blockchain!Thank you for this @ericvancewalton.
Awesome @lizelle! I'm looking forward to reading your entry! I bet you were so sad to have lost that notebook. I bet you'd like the DNA testing company, 23andMe. My brother and I had ours done about 5 years ago and they match you with genetic cousins who've also taken the test as well as tell you a lot about your genetic heritage. It's so interesting!
I was very sad to lose all that info, it had names and places that none of the current older generation can remember. I would love to have the DNA testing done, the results must be fascinating! I have cousins that I've never met, believe it or not, who are also trying to delve into the family tree. My mother's family were very close but not my Dad's, they all live in the Eastern Cape where I was born; we do keep in touch now via email, but it's like a lost thread, have to make a plan to meet them!
Look forward to writing this week, have been in the cooking pots this weekend :)
Have a great Sunday further.
This test is very interesting to have done. We had quite a few family traditions shattered by the results. My father was always told he was of Shawnee Indian heritage but we discovered he is from an Ashkenazi Jewish (j2) genetic haplogroup. I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
That's fascinating, must have been quite something to discover!
I'm very curious, we come from such a mixed group - great grandfather was Scottish, married an Afrikaans lady, apparently when they met he could not speak Afrikaans & she could not speak English, so there must have quite a spark there, and they apparently had a long happy marriage :) Then we have German and English as well as Dutch, a real mixed bag :):)
I'm digging into the archives of memories, going to start with holidays, quite a change from childhood to now, will start with childhood :)
It really was something! It's strange but it gave me a bit of a new identity to realize my true heritage. We all have an olive complexion and dark hair so the Native American made sense until we found out the truth. Oh wow, you do come from a diverse background! What an amazing story of your great grandparents. Love always finds a way. : )
Wow! Amazing love story, love does find a way.
Wow!
For sure @gifty-e :)
This is an awesome idea. The blockchain is the "global hive memory," just as the Internet was the "global hive mind." Memories, in many ways, are what make us human. And yet they sometimes seem so ephemeral, so transient.
I love this idea!!
Thanks!
Aun soy inexperta en esta comunidad de Steemit pero realmente me atrapo este proyecto... nada mas agradable que recordar, recordar es vivir! intentare hacerlo lo mejor que pueda, gracias por la oportunidad /
I am still inexperienced in this community of Steemit but I really get caught up in this project ... nothing more pleasant than remembering, remembering is living! I will try to do the best I can, thanks for the opportunity
Thanks for your comment and I'm looking forward to your entry!
I guess before dying memories are the only things that will be with you.....
Nice initiative..
#Blockchainmemoryproject ....it looks a great tag...A deep meaning one can make out of it... Thanks @erivancewalton
Thanks for reading!
I grew up in the 70s as well. It was an interesting time of jumping boards on bicycles and big wheels (a la Evel Knievel). I need to remember to come back to this. I share your connection to Alzheimers as well. My grandmother was diagnosed when no one knew what it was. Actually, she was diagnosed with dementia before they knew it was Alzheimers. In the late 70s she started to slip away from us. It's tough. I hope we one day find a cure.
Oh yeah! Evel Knievel! I almost forgot about him. I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother, @coldsteem. It's one of the most horrific diseases I can imagine. It still often goes undiagnosed because the family attributes it to "normal" age-related cognitive decline.
True. My grandmother was physically very healthy. She lived for a decade with the disease. She passed in 1988. It was, in many ways, a relief.
This is actually a great idea,and a really nice thing to think about how memories can be stored forever theoretically. Sorry to hear about your dad, alzheimers is rough. My granddad suffered from it for years.
Thanks! Yes, it's a tough disease, for sure. My dad's doing great at the moment though. We're very thankful for that.
Auxiliooo no se si es que soy ingenua o tapada jajaja, intente escribir algo y cuando escribo las etiquetas no me las permite... modo triste /
Auxiliooo I do not know if I'm naive or covered up hahaha, try writing something and when I write the labels I can not ... sad way
Hey @yrisalcala79! Did you try the tag, "blockchainmemoryproject" without hyphens?
Si se puede! /Yes you can! https://steemit.com/story/@yrisalcala79/el-poder-del-amor-filial
Someone (I can't remember the name ATM) here on Steemit posts photos of old toys he got for Christmas in the 70s. This would be a great project for him - if I run across him again, I'll be sure to mention it!
Thanks @geke! I appreciate you spreading the word. This initiative isn't getting as much traction as I hoped it would.
My contribution - Seaside Holiday Memoirs
Had great fun, will be back another time :)
wow, very good story, I really like about your post.
Everyone has memories, whether they are sweet memories or bitter memories, memories will never fade in the memory, hopefully with all our memories of the past become the material of reflection to move in the future and be a provision for the present.
Very good post @ericvancewalton, after I read and understand from the content of your article, it is very useful for everyone, and can be a very good motivation for all of us. All of us have a memory in the past, whether it be a good memory or an unpleasant memory. But all that is just a memory that we can save in our memory to be our motivation to live this life.
I really like your idea about steemit blockchain, hopefully all this can go smoothly and will be more successful for the future. Thanks for sharing and hope you have a wonderful day ... :)
Key is the tags and blockchain helps us to store memories bad or good and someday we look into our previous stories and recall our memories . A perfect platform to store memories.
A good place to keep our memories safe
mistake, tags are the keys instead...
Thanks bro, mistakes happen
Memories are always there some are faded some are fresh. Yes rightly said that we want it to be researchable. Sorry to hear about yor dad's disease. enjoyed your post :)
great projects. thanks for sharing
Nice story and content.....love to read it.....upvote done.... @erivancewalton
wow nice story i like it thanks for shareing
I really enjoy you article thanks for sharing
gt
Wow this is great and very encouraging. Look out for my entries.
This is excellent competition, its really an opportunity to share great memories. Thank you for this
Very elegant way to present you, The truth is in all your words.
It is possible to get many useful examples from your writing. well done and keep it up. Really i appreciate you.
great memory sharing contest!
Thanks!
your writing can add insight and knowledge. i love to read it. Thanks @ericvancewalton
I'm still a friend, I'm new to this great and great platform and I'm interested in this type of information ... I invite you to see my blog, friend, and very selective information !!! Many successful greetings.