No, I am not. But these days, I keep asking myself how and when that happens.
It’s easy when you don’t get along with the UI and then environment in the first hour or day. But, how does it happen when you find yourself that you’re still here after so many months? When you realize that you’re living a life here. A life that is an important part of your so called first life.
One of the common reasons, it seems, is running out of time. Day has only 24 hours, and that is usually not enough for one life, let alone two. A very sad ending, I would say. Other one in that group is death by boredom. Simply, nothing is interesting anymore. One has that feeling that everything that was to be seen and done is seen and done. And that usually comes for the whole groups of friends at the same period. Generations are getting old and disappear.
Living in a dream land is not so easy as it might seem. We have our own problems, dreams, expectations. And those are not just two clicks away. We have our goals and aims in this. For some of us, there is a mission that has to be done. We might know what it is, or maybe we are not aware of it. Maybe we have to do, create or share something. Maybe to learn or to grow personally. When mission is accomplished, is there a reason to keep in the place? Or we should move on to some other place, with a new aim?
Maybe it is like Mr. Zebrati Merricks once said:
If we are like tetris we disappear after we find our place and the line is filled.
Is there a moment when everything is done and we are ready to move in some other form of (non)existence? Or we are to live happily ever after?
I’ve thought a lot about how it will end for me, maybe too much. My conclusion is that there are no endings, only changes.
The key for me now is to enjoy the moment, while being conscious of what changes may come later. We have to stay on the good path, and push to make things better, and know a good ending when we see one.
Not there yet, though. I intend to hold on a while longer. There are too many important people here for me to leave just yet.
This is a good question, and a very personal decision, too. I think that it’s the kind of thing that you will know when the time comes, and not before. Until then, have fun! As for me, it’s not my time yet.
ur post is profound my friend dandellion n imho teh trick w/b 2 accept teh profundity n truth in what u said w/o getting depressed (easy 2 do) n 2 allow teh life force 2 continue 2 flow within u & us so whatever is nxt will appear precisely where, when, n how nature n higher power cause. TY.
I think there certainly are critical points in anyone’s second life where you need to move on, getting new experiences and new challenges. Some starts to host events instead of just participating. I build and rent out instead of being a tenant. But no level lasts forever before the feeling of "been there – done it" comes by I guess. One does not meet many people around that is more than 3 years old.
I talked to a friend back from my first month in SL today, she said "I am glad you are still on SL". It is indeed nothing to take for granted that one is.
For me I think that as long as someone feels like that about me, I will fight RL time constraints and SL boredom and find something to do in here, if nothing more than logging in and watch the sunset:-)
Take care and have some happy lives!
Cris.
Some days ago, I contacted you for a chat we never found the time to make, and it was all about the idea of “leaving SL”. So my first question is, can you read my toughts?
This is *the* issue these days for me about SL. As Argent said, I met too many wonderful people to even simply consider living without hearing from them no more. But these days (and since a month or so) I feel like being “Tetris”. I am simply enjoying again my 1st social life much more than I used when I registered in SL. I have to honestly admit that SL had a big part in this, it taught me some interesting things about the way to deal with people, something that I tried experimenting in the 1st life with amazing results! But right now, my involvement with SL is less every day more. It’s not a case that the less you stay in SL, the more its “system” tries to reject you. You stop to meet new people, fashion trends, all the clubs you knew eventually disappear and the audience splits in new places… It’s like a living organism. It grows, contracts, develops, change… and quickly… Just try to imagine what would happen if you could take a full 2 months break… Would you recognize the places? And all the people you love to spend your time with… Sure they would remember how wonderful you are (have been)… But… I am sure someone else would have taken your place in their hearts. There’s nothing bad about it, it’s just life. It happens in 1st life, too. In SL it’s a process that just gets (very) quick.
So what to do by now with it? I tried to focus all of my efforts in a project that, in the end, sucked myself into it, gettin too close to work, chaining me up always in the same place I had the wish to develop… It ruined some of my best relationships in SL and in the end took me away the time *in* SL to even chat with dear friends…
Now, having almost accomplished my Tetris (thank to the help of my dearests, I’d like to add…) I feel like disappearing. I need big news. Soon. I know they won’t come alone, I need to search for them… But I simply don’t know if it worths all this waste of time.
Another thing I’d like to add before closing my boring comment (rant). I have never took part in the augm/imm “war”, placing myself somewhere inbetween of the two contenders. Again, wandering trough SL, I had this feeling like the “system” (organism) *wants* me to take a position. It’s rejecting me and some people like me… Augms want me to share more bits of my 1st life that I usually do, Imms are too “virtual” these days… I can’t seem to find my place anymore in SL.
P.S.
You forgot to add the “tm” after “Second Life” in the tile :P
Hi Dandelion,
You ask, "Is there a moment when everything is done and we are ready to move in some other form of (non)existence?"
In first life, we call this "death"! Perhaps, like everything else about Second Life’s faster speed, our incarnations in there are shorter than the calendar length of our first life.
It’s also true that in first life, we continually grow, shift focus, discover new things and leave the old behind, grow wiser, try new paths, etc. It makes total sense to me that a similar process occurs in Second Life, only in the virtual world, we can more easily extricate ourselves from it and ignore what we’ve left behind. Not as simple in first life!
Fascinating post — thanks!
Joan
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. And a big apologize for being late on my answers.
I’m so glad to ear so much optimism in your answers. It is rare to see something like that for any kind of entertainment software. Usually it is "wearing out" and going to something new that will kill the time.
Eidur, we’ll have to find something new for you to do. We cannot afford to lose you :)
And I haven’t forgot to place TM. Second Life™ is not the only software one can use to live second life.
I have often thought about ending my Second Life, in fact I wrote about it in my blog, and since I’m here you can deduct that I did not delete my avatar.
What keeps me here are the friendships that I have cultivated, and even if I’m bored and think that I have seen much of SL (not really), everyday my friends bring something new that is worth my spending some time in SL.
This is a good post, with a lot of food for thought. In my humble opinion, at some point we all have to think about our SL, and decide whether or not it’s worth our time.
Thanks for the comment, I am glad you liked the post. Yes, our investments in our second lives is huge, on the other hand it is very rewarding experience. It really makes me happy to hear that so many of us don’t want to lose SL friends even after leaving SL.
And, btw, if you have something written about the subject give us a link.
Hey Dandellion,
My post is not as insightful as yours, in fact is very personal, but so it’s my blog. I don’t mind sharing it with you and the World :)
http://seikatsukoba.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-often-than-i-can-count-i-have.html
I often feel more than a little guilty that I spend too much time in SL. There is really not enough time for both but I have grown genuinely fond of it. It has meaning for my life right now and your post has helped me realise I just have to try and enjoy that while it lasts
I am glad to hear that :)
It’s a lovable little bugger, the second life. It easily gets under our skins.
everyone,
I’m 12 days old, what do I care? :)
although it is a bit disturbing hearing that from you elderly folk.
I already have friends it will be hard saying goodbye to.
The other day I was riding my bike (no deathwish, just a hint of it) and I thought about my friends in SL and how they will never know that I died in a bike crash.
So am I crazy? Am I taking it too seriously? Should I treat SL as a ‘game’?
Well I won’t anyway, It doesn’t seem right to me. Behind each av there’s a real person out there. There is no ‘game’ about it.
The only thing left to do is sorting out the players from the true SLs, and doing that without falling into bitter instant profiling.
My first insight when I got here still remains. I never dismiss a person too quickly, forget the av, check out the mind, you can always take her (or him. babe u can:) shopping later.
Second Life is ruining my relationship. I have been in the relationship with the same guy for almost six years. We are a gay couple. he found second life and is now a sex slave in order to get the nice virtual clothing. It is like an egyptian harem of sorts but even worse. He talks sexual he has even told his “masters” he loves them. he tells me to not worry he can determine the difference between sl and rl. he normally ignores me anyways for the most part but now he is ignoring me even more and it hurts. I dont want to leave him as I know I have been with him so long I cant take care of myself on my own. I do love him and I just want him back. Originally he had a porno addiction that stopped for a few months then he went back to porno now I have to contend with porno and second life for his attention. He says he pays attention to me while playing but really just saying two or three words when I ask a question isnt really paying attention is it? If i were a stronger person i would wait until he goes to work and just pack my bags and leave no matter how much I love him just to see if he would come for me. Thing is i have no where to go no friends no relatives that care enough for me because of who i am. I am scared.
I am not a relationship counselor, but it seems that your relationship has more problems than second life. Maybe you whould talk seriously with your partner about it all?