<oembed><type>rich</type><version>1.0</version><title>el wrote</title><author_name>el (npub1hd…t93ca)</author_name><author_url>https://nostr.now/npub1hd4cwdujw5l4hx00y2cvk89kph7mctr3nlaagmkhtvfq0h7quujqrt93ca</author_url><provider_name>njump</provider_name><provider_url>https://nostr.now</provider_url><html>How a #normie who hasn&#39;t been on any social media in nearly a decade ended up on #Nostr.&#xA;&#xA;4 years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. It took almost 3 years to recover enough to feel somewhat normal again. Before the diagnosis, I was self-employed, single, with a child and absolutely no support system. All of my family is still in Russia, and because of the sanctions, every avenue for helping us financially was closed. &#xA;&#xA;During one of our video calls, my brother suggested I look into getting a #Bitcoin wallet. We made eye contact, and I said, “I’ll look into it,” and we both knew perfectly well that wasn&#39;t going to happen.&#xA;&#xA;I did, though, watch a bunch of YouTube videos (“Bitcoin for Dummies”) while I was cooking, and that&#39;s where I first heard about Nostr.&#xA;&#xA;I also occasionally read WGSN&#39;s trend forecasts, and Nostr was mentioned there as well (decentralized social media).&#xA;&#xA;Last month I thought it would be a terrible shame if the world never knows about the #GrimReapersYoungerHotterBrother So I started wondering where I could publish my writing with the best chance of it surviving, and Nostr came up again. &#xA;&#xA;I thought Nostr was half a Reddit Bitcoin discussion forum and half a free Dropbox (with complicated instructions). Instead, I found people. &#xA;&#xA;It&#39;s lovely here. I think I&#39;ll stay. #GrowNostr&#xA;&#xA;P.S. It&#39;s weird, but after just a few weeks on Nostr, I&#39;ve realized that I actually want to meet more people in real life and be more socially engaged outside the digital world. Historically, regular social media has had the exact opposite effect on me. &#xA;</html></oembed>