Hola. My name is Juan and I live in Puerto Rico. I am brand new here on Steemit. This is literally my first post after my introductory one. Thus far I've seen a lot of cooperation and support in this community. That has really inspired me and given me a much needed boost of enthusiasm. Together that enthusiasm and the realities of living in post-Maria Puerto Rico have created the need for me to write this post.
I never intended to post anything on cryptocurrency. After all, I am a total newbie and know very little about it. What could I possibly have to share with the crypto community? Well, this morning it became quite clear to me that I do have something I need to share. I have a message from the Puerto Rican average Jose community, about the plan of using Puerto Rico as an experiment to try and bring about a crypto utopia.
This morning, as I sat at my computer vigorously typing away, happily replying to all the great comments on my intro post, the electricity went out. Now this is something I've grown accustomed to since the electricity returned 2 months ago after being gone for 4 months prior. This time though, it really upset me. I finally found a way to possibly get some income flowing after half a year of post-Maria madness and the electricity goes. It came back after a couple of hours, but it really got me to thinking. What if I start to build something here and wind up offline again for months? The uncertainty of life in Puerto Rico at the moment is not cool at all.
During the short blackout, I was staring out the window, calming myself thinking of how I would jump back on my typing as soon as the electricity returned. And then some powerful thoughts came to me. The fact that a very high percentage of the quarter million people on Steemit are cryptocurrency enthusiasts. And that there is a group of cryptocurrency billionaires that are looking to create a cypto utopia here in Puerto Rico. That perhaps somehow I could get a message to those billionaires through someone who's on here and connected. Or that maybe one or more of our Whales are part of that group and perhaps somehow this will get in front of one of them. Also figured out that I didn't have to wait for the electricity to get back to writing. Lol. So I got out the pen and paper and got busy.
There I sat old school style, pen in hand magically dropping these thoughts onto the paper in order to transfer them later, as I am doing now. Of course, not having the fan going (as I always do) meant I was hot and the mosquitoes were bugging me. Add to that the high humidity and it was tricky to stay positive. So please bear with me.
Briefly then, Maria took it's toll on an already hurting economy. Over 250,000 have left and another 250,000 are expected to leave by year's end. Between the vulture capitalists, the evil banksters and the crooked politricksters, the little that's left is being devoured at a hurried pace. In the middle of this mess the cryptocurrency billionaires appeared with a lot of flash and many promises. After all the recent abuse at the hands of the wealthy, needless to say many Puerto Ricans were weary and doubtful of the intentions of these billionaires gallivanting across the island. I may be crypto illiterate, but I know people, and especially my fellow Puerto Ricans. Apparently the leader of that crowd has a bit of a past and that had many wondering. Not to mention that coming here and partying hard while so many go without, makes it seem as if they really couldn't care less about helping anybody but themselves.
So here is the message that I have for them (or you if you're reading). They will be more than welcome in Puerto Rico because we are a hospitable people. Even more so if they truly come here to help lift us out of this terrible mess we are living. We have been used and abused by the banksters and their politricking allies for so long it's hard to find a way out. So much so, that we are on the brink of some really horribly sad times. The crypto billionaires can make a real difference. Not only can they help the people of Puerto Rico, but they can show the world how great the cryptocurrency movement really is. In order for that to happen though, they would have to see beyond the party paradise. They need to reach out to those who are having really hard times. They have to help with ways to come up out of these difficult situations. In short, they have to become a part of the community at large. Only then will they have any real results. If all they want is a tax shelter, then their success may still come but they won't be as welcome. And so their success will be incomplete, in my opinion.
Puerto Rico's greatest resource is it's powerful and resilient people. We don't die, we multiply. Even in the face of dire circumstances. Including efforts to eradicate us during the latter half of the 20th century. We are currently 8 million strong. 5 million in the diaspora and 3 on the island. I believe that if we focus, we can begin this global paradigm shift right from our lovely island paradise. And I think that Steemit can play a really big part in that.
The people of PR need help from powerful wealthy people who have influence in important matters. The situation is pretty dire and only getting uglier. Seems like the answers the government comes up with are only making matters worst. Some of us here lost everything and most of us lost something. I, myself, am currently without transportation and without work. Everything changed for me because of Maria. I almost went the crowdfunding route, but I'm really not looking for handouts. I need to work my way out of this hole. That's how I wound up here on Steemit and why I'm still here.
I've seen a lot of love and plenty of support on Steemit. If the higher echelons of the cryptocurrency community are anything like the fine people I've run into on here thus far, then they'll have this and many other hard-working Puerto Ricans in their corner. And if they come to PR not only with their wallets in hand, but with their hearts on their sleeves, they will not only be highly successful, they will become family. And we take care of family. Paz y mas.