Rising to Second Place: My Steem Pong Journey in Steem Retro Cup Week 42
My second-place finish in the Steem Retro Cup Week 42 is something I am happy about. This has made me realise that persistence, consistency and focus can bring one a long way as a person as demonstrated by me, @adese. Steem Pong is not a mere retro game but it is a game that challenges patience, attention and determination. My ranking as the second in such a competitive leaderboard is of great significance to me, and it has made me strive to rank higher the next time.
In this competition, there were a lot of players who were good and the competition was fierce. First on the leaderboard was @baizid123 with a Steem Pong result of 7,799, having played 7 games and made 150,861 contest points. I came in second with a score of 8,479 in Pong with Steem 6 games and received 140, 584 points in contest. The third spot was occupied by the profile of frafiomatale, having achieved a Steem Pong score of 9, 314, participated in 5 games, and had acquired 128, 690 contest points. Other competing players also played well e.g. @misia1979 with 976, @anikearn with 897, @mad-runner with 926 in Pentris, and @elcholitosanto with 190 in Space Invasion. When all these scores are viewed together, it is a demonstration of how competitive and exciting the competition was.
The fact that I finished second is not only the reason why it is special, but also the road that has led me there. I got a score of 8,479 in Steem Pong, and that was not on accident. It was a result of playing and playing and making errors and being consistent. Although the single-game Steem Pong score of 9,314 gave the user, @frafiomatale the lead in the competition, my ability to be consistent in the 6 games made me gain a greater number of total contest points. This has taught me that consistency may at times be better than one excellent performance. It is not so much how good you scored once, but how good you will be in the long run.
The game of Steem Pong alone is a game that is simple at first sight but turns challenging after a very short period of time. Any movement is significant, and a slight mistake can terminate the game. The more I continued playing, the more I learned how to control my timing, to calm down when in pressure and to concentrate on the game. These attributes have enabled me to drive my score to greater and greater levels, to a point of 8,479. Every game helped me to improve and every defeat made me know what to do next.
Perseverance was very significant in my success. I did not give up because there were moments that my score was not improving as I expected. I continued to play, continued to learn and continued to change my strategy. Watching such players as @baizid123 drive forward with 7,799 and consistency inspired me to do more. Although, I was not the first one, this time, second place demonstrated me that I am so very close to the top. Such an emotion is sufficient driving force.
Other than the scores and the rankings, Steem Pong also taught me valuable life lessons. One major lesson is patience. Life like the game demands a calm mind and consistent work. Hurrying results in errors but slowness results in improvement. The other lesson is discipline. Playing various games always made me score more points in contests, as working hard in reality would make me successful in the long term. Another important lesson I got in the game was the need to respect competition, as each player on the leaderboard did their best.
Another lesson that this contest taught me is that of the importance of community. My participation in Steem Retro Cup made me feel related to the rest of the players in the world. It was not only about the winning of Steem rewards, but also about the sharing of experiences, learning of other people, and developing together. The fact that one can see the same names in the leaderboard week after week fosters the feeling of healthy competition and respect towards others.
My objective is quite straightforward in the future. I will be again determined to win first in the next contest, after Week 42. The second place has given me the view of what can be done but now first place is my goal. I will play additional games, remain regular, and practice my abilities in Steem Pong. I think that through the same effort and even a little bit more concentration, I can be able to climb to the highest point of the leaderboard.
I would like to genuinely thank the work and unremitting support of the project and the game pomagante, Steem Retro Cup, to have made such an incredible contest and keep it going and thrilling. The continued support of the Steem community to this day is also accompanied by special mention of @booming02, @steemcurator01 and @steemcurator02, who promote quality involvement. Their input assists in inspiring the players such as myself to continue moving.
To summarize, the fact that I am second in Steem Retro Cup Week 42 is something I am not ashamed of. The ability of persistence and consistency is demonstrated by my score of 8,479 in Steem Pong as compared to the beautiful scores of other players. The experience has made me more convinced, I have learned a lot about life, and I am already motivated to take the first place in the next contest. I am ready to move on with the journey, and I wish to know what is in the future.