SL and its effect on my RL.....

Well I could lie...and say it has NO effect on my Real Life...but pfft who am I kidding. Its 3 am...I couldn't sleep, so where do I come ..? Second LIfe....

Anyone who reads my profile....or chats with me...knows my opinions on the separation of the two worlds. I dont believe there IS a true separation.
Sure...you can schedule SL time in your day...and that is precisely how I began my SL life. There was a window during my day where I allowed myself to get lost in here.

Obviously as time went on and I established REAL relationships with people in world, that amount of time grew. It also became a part of my RL day - connecting with my online friends and of course the Cage. I have been doing the Club for over 2 years now...every day. I can honestly say that I still enjoy it. I still enjoy watching everyone dance, meeting and forming relationships, and the chat. I enjoy the networking and the interaction that comes from my time in SL...otherwise I wouldn't still be here.

So what keeps us here ? Is it escapism...is it a game ? Are the relationships formed here real or not? Is the club real ? My emphatic answer to all of these questions is YES. Yes the club is real...People choose to come the Cage and Dance and chat and meet friends...that is a REal feeling inspired by what we do in world...encouraging people to sit in front of their computers. YES the club is real ....I spend every day there organising hosts, schedules, lindens and competitions. The virtuality of it is of no consequence to me....for the people who are attending are REAL People :)

As for the friendships, the relationships I have formed in here. Of course they are real. My friends list is NOT that long, however I do have people in world who I have become very close to. The most interesting part about in world friendships is the basis on which they grow. The initial interaction, the connections that are made are always based on the pure personality of that individual. None of it is based on race, size, beauty or image. When in SL ...connections are very quickly established or not. ( Well for me anyway ! )

I value my relationships in sl. My time spent in here is limited, and I try to make the most of every minute. I do prioritise my time, and there are those who I will 'always ' make time for and will always be a priority for me. I try to be honest about my intentions in world...and always encourage my friends to reciprocate that honesty. I do not indulge in game playing, and I have no desire to judge others. This is not an environment in which ANY of us can know the absolute truth behind every persons avatar...and there is no place for judgement. Therefore our SL relationships can only be measured by behaviour inworld and the online depth and level of communication we allow ourselves to have with one another. ( eg emails, some of you even have mobiles ! MSN, Yahoo etc )

Whyyyy am I telling you this ??
I guess because I am questioning

I guess because of a number of reasons....I have had some definate changes in the direction of my Second Life journey recently, and it has given me the time and opportunity to step back and view things through different eyes.

Amber is not an easy person to be friends with! She is opinionated, kinda bossy, and sometimes downright outspoken. She talks a lot, sometimes too much and she tends to dominate conversations at the Cage. She tries to uphold a broad view of values and expectations in both worlds. She is however, Real...which means she doesn't always going to get it right !

I value my sl time more than ever now..! One would think that it would be less valued as time goes on ...and taken for granted more? The reality is the opposite has happened for me. I value others time more than ever. I see the worth in someones choice to spend time with me....I see the importance of that time more than ever. I appreciate the friendships offered to me more than perhaps those people realise.

I realise my worth as a friend, is measured by the time, the energy, the words, the efforts & behaviour people show towards me in world....all of these things do not go unnoticed by me. My observation, is that it appears a lot of us in world dont see this value. My concern is that we may lose what is a real friendship with someone, because we label it as virtual.

My hope is that we all realise the worth we have to each other. My message to those who might like to consider it....is that your in - world behaviour , your words, your time, the way you 'portray' your avatar - does become a measure of value to others...as their's is to you.

From my perspective ...after 2 years plus.....I can only impart this.
My RL has been blessed by the time I have spent in world with my dearest friends.
My RL life has only been enhanced by having these experiences.
My RL life has changed considerably because of the relationships I have formed in SL.

My SL continues ...
changing constantly
still learning.