Random Thoughts

Second Life is my favorite time waste/entertainment/whatever. I really enjoy the creativity that I see whether it be on fashion blogs, flickr pics, or builds in-world. Being the computer illiterate that I am, I find the technology really amazing. Also, I participate in a support group in-world which gives me the opportunity to connect with other people in a way that I just don't have time for during the hectic work week in my first life. Second Life is a great addition to my first life. Having said that, I want to emphasize that I said ADDITION TO, as in doesn't replace, my first life.

So, I have a question. What would you do if tomorrow -- suddenly and without warning -- Second Life ceased to exist? How would you handle it?

For the last year, I have weaned myself off of Second Life because I found that it was affecting my first life too much. Sure, it gave me a chance to converse and make friends with people all over the world who I'd never meet otherwise. But, I started asking myself questions like: Exactly how are these people friends? What's the difference between the stranger standing in front of me in line at the grocery and one of my Second Life friends? The honest answer is NOTHING.

In fact, that stranger and Bob Resident could be the same person and I would never know it! Second Life lulls us into a false sense of security. Its anonymity makes the intensity of instant intimacy feel so much more real than it genuinely is. True friendships need months or even years of nurturing in order for intimacy and connection to be possible.

I have realized that I cannot let myself get so involved in socializing in Second Life that I miss the opportunity to connect with actual flesh & blood humans. Have I made real friends in Second Life? Absolutely. They are the rarity, and I am grateful for their friendship.

All that I am saying is that it's best to keep Second Life in perspective. Take the time to think about how much your involvement with it affects the quality of your first life. Because when you log-out of the viewer, you can't take the prims with you.