Or, to be more accurate, I was, but it was Content Strike day so I didn't post.

I started my own business 18 years ago, on March 21th. That's right, the first day of spring. I chose that because it seemed like a nice symbol of starting something new.
On that day, I first went to the Chamber of Commerce to have my business registered. That wasn't all that easy because there wasn't such an entry as 'signwriter' or 'signwriter/decorator' in the database and they kept asking me if I painted houses or made paintings, and I kept saying: it's something in between those two. But they finally worked out a way of doing it, so I was in the records and out of there.
After that, I went to Social Security and told them they could remove me from their records, as I wouldn't be needing them anymore, and anyway, being registered with the Chamber of Commerce cancelled my right to get any money from them. They were friendly and very concerned, asking me: are you sure you want to do this? I told them yes, and that I'd already done it.

It felt great. Cheerful and heroic music was playing in my head and I felt as if the sun were shining down on me all day long. It was a very happy, exciting and hopeful day.
Now, 18 years later, I'm still happy I took that step. Sure, I'm still not rich and I guess I never will be, unless playing in the lottery finally pays off. But I'm doing something that I like, that I'm good at, and I've learned so much. The 18-years ago me would be very impressed with the level of skills I have now acquired. And I'm looking forward to learning much more.

So, here's to my humble business. It started out from nothing, and it's still not much, but hey, it's how I've been making a living. The business is something I have created; it wouldn't exist if not for me.  And it's a wonderful thing to have.