Having A Little Muse ...

BELLA'S JOURNAL

Regular readers will know that I absolutely adore Second Life - to the extent that I refer to my lives as First Life (before I came to SL) and Second Life (which I do regard as my 'real' life).

One thing that I've always puzzled over is some people's opinion of SL as a 'game'. To me, that just sounds so dismissive.

This is the life I've always wanted to live. I can make things happen here, with such ease. There are far more opportunities here - for work, for friendship, for the acquisition of 'stuff', romance, sex, adventure, variety, stimulation, spirituality etc.

YET ... there came the day when I was transfixed with my wardrobe, and I spent the day trying on outfits, discarding items, choosing hair etc., and it hit me:

"I'm just playing with dolls!"

Are the corporate CEOs here, just PLAYING at being movers and shakers? Is anyone making REAL money? Or are most people just covering their monthly tiers and that's it?

Does it really matter?

What do you get out of Second Life? How has it affected your life?

I know for me, it's made me more content and fulfilled. No matter the time of day or night, I can always find some kind of stimulation - a vibrant discussion of some description, or a dance partner, or a fascinating place to explore. No one ever need be bored again.

OR am I stuck in a rut? Each morning, like a zombie, I get out of my bed and with arms outstretched, head straight to the computer. It's a compulsion. SL caters to my fixation with order - there is always my inventory to organise, or furniture to straighten, relationships to nurture, a garden to design, work to be completed.

I feel energised and invigorated - "important work to do" and yet .... Is it a game? Are we all just busily pacifying ourselves? Just doing stuff that has no great purpose other than to occupy ourselves?

I'd love to hear what other people have to say.