Improving

Its said that the way we see ourselves in the Virtual World can help us improve who we are in the Real World. Our Avatars should positive influence our relationship with the enviroment behind the computer screen.

My best friend and Bestman in my SL wedding has been gone for a while now...and I am so proud of talking about him and seeing how far he is going.

When I met him we were both troubled and living Second Life in the worse way possible I think. Together we started a path were we would let Second Life show us what who really wanted to be behind the screen. We both had our characters, we both Roleplayed very similar characters and we both realized what we wanted to be in Real Life.

Now he has been away from SL following his dream in RL and I cant be more proud of how far he is going for it. Literally: to another city!

How far are you willing to let SL get when it comes to your Real Dreams and Expectations...?


And it makes me so proud and so happy to have many friends doing the same.

Who said it was easy? It is never easy to face yourself. Your REAL self. And you can always take the painful part of being the lazy scared one and stay forever sitting in that chair behind a screen. But risking and going out making SL happen.......totally worth it.

Is Second Life going to be just "a game" or are you going to make it the chance to be what you always wanted...without limits?

Our Digital Selves

This had a lot to do with my decision of starting Les Eclaireurs.

A few months ago I watched this amazing documentary  and I started living the Virtual World froma different perspective. By then I was teaching at Woodcrest University -the best Roleplay community to me-, but I saw that most of my students were there to just fool around, they had multiple alts and no one seemed to even have an idea that some people actually live in Second Life, and that behind the Avatar there is a real human being.

So I left, I started looking for something else, something bigger. Something deeper. Finding mods behaving like assholes around roleplay communities, I felt hopeless seeing that I couldnt even find a place to call HOME. A place with actual streets, not like the Linden homes (my god those are VERY ugly!!!!!! the Second Life Ghettos!). An actual community.

After a research season, I created Les Eclaireurs with the hope of starting an amazing community, no matter how big or how small.........but how REAL it was. I am sure I am not the only one looking to take Second Life to a different level, considering that it isnt The Sims, that there are people behind the avatars. That some arent here to waste time, that we dont have the chance of living certain things in the Physic World. Meetings, concerts, different exhibits at the museum and all kinda events going on with real people that are willing to be part of it, not just be outsiders.

So I started this journey. And because every story has to begin somewhere, my starting point is here, at Les Eclaireurs.

If you would like to join me, I honestly cant be more grateful. And please dont be affraid of contacting me! (not lazy haha)
 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Jaguar%20Mountains/158/191/24

What is Second Life?

Maybe we should all wonder...  With all the things that can be done, all the GOOD we could do through Second Life...are we just wasting time? why are we part of this Virtual Community? What are our expectations here? Can we actually let Second Life help us improve our Real Lives? 

I realized that people saying "sl is sl, it isnt real" are actually excusing for not having values in this particular Virtual World. The real meaning of those words are: "i wont take you serious, to me you arent a person, so i dont give a shit if i hurt/offend you". 

Did you know that behind the avatars there are actual people, with their own lives? That this isnt The Sims? This is a Virtual Community, with real people. Of course, you can choose to come online to play games (Game: an activity or sport usually involving skill, knowledge, or chance, in which you follow fixed rules and try to win against an opponent), but you must keep you basic human values in-world too, like respect.

Did you know that some people actually live in Second Life because they dont have the chance of doing it in the RL? That they enjoy dancing and walking because they cant do it in RL, or having kids because they couldnt in RL.... or even....look for help in Support Groups for something that is giving them a hard time in RL. 

Second Life is a tool. But so many people dont realize it. So many people take this Second Chance for granted. 

With this I'm not telling you that you have to reveal your RL info to everyone and trust every person you meet, this IS a Virtual World, and Virtual have always had its dangers.

I dare you living Second Life as an actual Second Chance for all the things you always wished you could do in your Real Life. What would you do if you could actually BE your Avatar for one day? 

If our Avatars are an extension of ourselves.... how do you connect with the world that surrounds you in Second Life? Are you where you want to be in SL? 

Catfish

"I discovered what Catfish was in a TV show a few years ago. I am 26 years old and I have always had a lonely life. You'll see, I am fat. VERY fat. And I am not like those thin models on the ads, and...I am NOT like my avatar in Second Life.

I was so inlove with Marcus that I decided to lie to him. I pretended to be a beautiful curvy latina and sent him tons of pictures of that woman that I didnt even know. Sometimes I really believed I was her, and it felt so amazing to be loved, to be told how beautiful I was.

After almost a year in a partnership with him in Second Life and many excuses to avoid videocalls, one afternoon after work I found myself crying in my car driving home, determined to tell him the truth. I couldnt even take a picture of myself without crying, how could I be so ugly? How could I have lied for so long to the person I loved?

When Marcus saw me he just asked me why I didnt give him the chance of loving me exactly how I am. And I didnt know what to answer.

My avatar now is a Plus Size. I am not ashamed anymore, but I am still working on my self confidence. I am not proud of what I did, but Maria, we cant all be super confident when showing our Real Life faces just like that. We all try to be better...not always to cheat on the other person, but sometimes to feel better about ourselves.

Thank you for sharing my story,

Anon"