It's birthday season. Not only in real life (which we'll ignore here - completely), but more importantly, in (my) Second Life. I just turned one. Given that fact, I thought it would be a good time to settle my blog in a new home, and continue to blur the line between me, myself & I. If you've not ventured into the Metaverse known as Second Life, you might have a hard time trying to understand why anyone would care about such a thing... a virtual birthday. I've decided to close down my old blog, which was a collection of my comedic writings, short stories and computer tips, and start a new blog that focuses on the magic and wonder of virtual worlds.
So what does that mean to me? It means that for a solid year now, I've been living more than half of my life inside an alternate reality. That's not necessarily anything new. Friends in real life know that one of my signature sayings for years has been, "create your own reality." I believe that we ultimately create the circumstances in our lives with our minds, both good and bad. That said, I am forever trying to master said creation through mental visualization and meditation. My progress? Uh.... I'm working on it.
One of the things that has drawn me to and kept me close to Second Life is the element of magic that flows through the world like so much water. Most of the people that have spent some time becoming acquainted with the virtual world will tell you that "there was just something magical about it." It's true. It's also ironic that there are so many references to dream worlds and dream lands. One of the first things that struck me when I joined was this magic. It was as if, on some level, I had the feeling that I had come home, only I'd come home to a world that as far as I knew, didn't (ever) and doesn't presently exist.
There is an amazing parallel between Second Life and the world in which I dream in real life. At times, it's almost creepy. Creepy in an inescapable sort of deja-vu kind of way. "I know what to expect. I've been here before." That sort of thing. As an entertainment-craved, easily bored experience junkie, for something to hold my direct attention for so long - it says something about the quality of the experience. There's nothing like it. It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. I can't wait to see how it will develop over the next 5-7 years. The potential is off the charts. Give me my full set of body sensors and my 3D holodeck for the living room - now!
