<center> ![](https://media.giphy.com/media/3ov9k1lJ0A2o4OQew8/giphy.gif) </center>
Tomorrow marks my fifth year of blogging on the Steemit/Hive blockchain. I struggle to think of any single thing that has changed my life for the better more than doing this. Those of us that have been here since the beginning have experienced countless ups and downs. There's been so much change that to think about it for too long makes my head spin. Honestly, five years almost feels like five lifetimes. 

Many of the people who made this platform amazing have left but other, equally amazing, folks have stepped into their shoes. Hive is a completely different place today than it was five years ago. Five years from now it will be indistinguishable from what it is today. The fact that Hive is constantly evolving is both the beauty and strength of a decentralized social media platform. Continuous change forces community members to either evolve with the platform or cease to be relevant on it. 

I’ve been away from blogging for sixteen days (the longest break I’ve taken in five years). You know what? I’ve missed it terribly. I think this is a good sign that I’ll be around for a while longer. I'm not entirely sure in what capacity but I will figure this out when I'm meant to. 

I’d like to sincerely thank the witnesses who make sure this blockchain continues to operate, my readers, mentors, and everyone who has contributed to my success. The traditional publishing world slammed the door in my face for over twenty years but blockchain and this amazing community held the door open for me and yelled, *Walk on through!* I’ll be forever grateful for this opportunity to share my work with the world. 


## Ephemera Bitcoin Easter Egg Found! ##
<center> ![](https://media.giphy.com/media/lln1gKSlV6QheyYQuH/giphy.gif) </center>
A few days ago I logged into the [Bitcoin paper wallet](https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1DY3Tw3zV4Ly4QtcCWSR3SXnVyUE3jH2kH) I created for my newest book promotion and saw the coins had been claimed! 

It took roughly ten days from when the book was launched for someone to claim the coins. I was thrilled someone found the private key and figured out how to sweep them into a wallet. I was beginning to worry that the contest was too complex. This promotion was more fun that even I imagined and I'll be doing more of this with future book releases.  Many thanks to everyone who participated in the contest and purchased a copy of the book! 

If you’ve read [Ephemera](https://www.amazon.com/Ephemera-Collection-Eric-Vance-Walton/dp/B095HXB8WQ) could you please do me a huge favor and write an Amazon review? 

## Returning To My Roots ## 
<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/BmQg5Cx.jpg) </center>

We’re visiting my family in Ohio and it’s been a wonderful, but bittersweet, break. I got to meet great nieces and a great nephew for the first time and we also celebrated my Mom’s 76th birthday. We also helped my Mom go through some of my late Father’s belongings and donate them to charity. These trips back home are bittersweet because they always remind me of how fast time passes and how deeply things change. I’m also reminded every time I come back home that the most valuable thing in the world is this time that we all get to share together. It's also very apparent that some of the things that really matter in this life, they always remain the same. 

### Here are some photos we’ve taken so far: ###

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/gADDCbX.jpg) </center>
<center> *These deer visit my Mom’s backyard at the same time each afternoon.* </center>
<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/b53P2Pj.jpg) </center>
<center> *The newest generation of the Walton clan.* </center>
<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/lYUSEtW.jpg) </center>
<center> *Amstel showing everyone in Ohio who’s the boss.* </center>

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/XYSgwxj.jpg) </center>
<center> *Mom, me, my nephew, brother, and sister-in-law.* </center>

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/KNrodFF.jpg) </center>
<center> *Columbus, Ohio, a city that is almost unrecognizable from the city I left in 1995.* </center>
<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/9fwXNvt.jpg) </center>
<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/uXH6T4M.jpg) </center>
<center> *A few photos from my Mom’s birthday celebration.* </center>

















All for now. 
 
With Gratitude Always,
 
Eric Vance Walton
 
 (Gifs sourced from Giphy.com)


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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/HxpLgqSl.jpg)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ) </center>

Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive. 

[Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095HXB8WQ)  



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<center> [![alt text](https://i.imgur.com/b5U8dqm.jpg?1)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) </center>

Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel. 

These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, [Mindful Moments](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PJPWK2W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1), will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com. 



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# <center> Let’s Keep In Touch </center> #

<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/TjeTnuH.jpg) </center>



 
 
 
<center> [www.ericvancewalton.net](http://www.ericvancewalton.net) </center>
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<center> ![](https://i.imgur.com/aieouS5.png) </center>