Today, looking at the queue of transactions in the mempool, it really feels like watching the tide go out: you think you've "sent it out," but you've only taken a number, and you still have to see if miners/validators are willing to scoop you up first. It's even more real during congestion—if you pay too little in fees, you get stuck; pay too much, and someone else might cut in line. Bad luck might even cause your transaction to expire or be replaced, and in the end, all that's left is "why hasn't it been confirmed yet"... pretty depressing.

Sometimes I think the NFT royalty dispute is like this queue: creators want to get more, but buyers and sellers complain about low liquidity, and everyone is squeezed into the same channel. Anyway, I’m just taking it slow now—try not to send urgent transactions, wait if I can, and avoid fighting myself.