Next level

Like the clouds stacked up this past week, I often think when walking along on one of my daily outings, what will it take to rise to that next level?
For several years, since 2009, Facebook has been the means of conveying photographs to people. While it has been a great method, along with the digital camera, it has not grown. My likes or followers or whatever remains small, confined to the same three to five hundred likes, or friends, depending on which site.
The photographs I have displayed at the Gateway Gallery since last year have not sold. I have constantly rotated them out, attempting to hit a chord. The only print that has sold has been the same print of the octagonal church. And this was sold to the same person, one for him and two for friends. The display at the library of historical 1980's photographs of Lake City I took when I was a newspaper photographer hasn't garnered any interest since going up before Christmas.
The blogs I maintain remain after nearly three years with about ten followers. Ten. 
Face it, I am stagnant in this endeavor.
And so I ponder the future, the futility of going out and snapping countless photographs that will be sent to Smug Mug albums, to be cataloged and forgotten.
It was not a good time for such gloom. I had purchased a new Nikon D7000 for $700 and at $30 a month, would take two years to pay off.
By then, the latest, greatest camera would long be out and the D7000 a relic.
And I would have thousands of photographs stashed away for what?
The joy of doing it?
I have some serious soul searching to undergo in 2014.
Someone out there, how about "discovering" me, offer me a job, allow me to pay for this crazy obsession.
Update January 7th.
 Today, Nikon announced the D3300. And on it goes. Today, three days from the 30 day return policy from B&H photo, I made the decision to return the D7000. It was heavy, heavy, but that was not the reason. I just cannot justify $35 a month for two years to pay for the darn thing without a job.
Funds are tight enough around here as it is with only one person working.
Things I greatly liked about this D7000. I was able to finally meter and use the manual focus old metal Nikon lenses. In a Aperture mode, the metering was finally accurate on first take, allowing me to concentrate on getting the shot, not fiddling with the manual exposure settings. I was able to use the commander flash mode without the cable attached to the flash from the camera. This was a great help on the Ellijay trip when taking the family shots. I will greatly miss that feature.
Third, the remote control button worked again. The D3100 I have is not set up to use the remote button.Go figure.
The D7000 focused fast and the metering was accurate. It had many other features I was learning to appreciate.
Someday, this year I trust, some type of job will avail itself to me, that I can do, and I will again order some type camera body.
It may be the D7100, the update to the D7000 I got for $700. It may even be the new Samsung NX30 . It looks promising and light. It may be the Olympus OM micro four thirds. Again, light and sharp.
As you see, I lean toward light. The Nikon D7000 with the old metal 180mm with the 2x extender was a beast to carry about.
It is probably time to gather up all the old Nikon gear and put it on ebay or Craig list and generate some cash.
That way, even without a job, perhaps I can muster up around 2k needed to get into a new, lightweight system.
If Nikon would ever come up with the proper lenses for the DX format, I would remain a Nikonian.
But, as Thom Hogan said today, we have been knocking on that door going on 15 years now and Nikon is not answering.
For the time being, I will venture out with the D3100 with the dust spots on the sensor or the Canon S95 with the cracked screen and JB Welded back.
One does not need the latest, greatest camera for photography. Like any tool, one can dig his grave with a shovel or a backhoe.