Izzyisms

Hurricanes Can’t Keep Me Away

It's damn good to be back.

I spent the last couple of nights just hanging out a Lounge of Dreams and catching up with all of the wonderful people I've missed.  I was also delighted that my dear rl and sl friend, Belmont Roux, decided to give the virtual life another spin.

We fared well doing the hurricane; other than the ample overtime we had to work, we lost nothing property-wise and most of our friends and family turned out to be equally as blessed.  The time away from my favorite Internet pastimes and Second Life was awful, though;  I've realized I may have a wee bit of an Internet addiction!

Coming back into SL after some compulsory time off is such a relief; personally, it signaled that my rl was calming back down and that I had the free time once more to enjoy my favorite extracurricular activities.  This weekend I was able to share time and laughs with some of my favorite people in some of my favorite places outside the realm of my physical, tangible day-to-day life.

It makes me realize what an awesome escape sl can be.  I don't mean "escape" as in avoidance of rl, but as a healthy and fun addition to rl that offers some relief and relaxation away from the toils and strife of daily existence.

In that vein, I see my virtual life - the one I live in sl -  as an enhancement of my self and the life that I live day to day.

Not only does sl allow me freedoms in movement, reality, and distance I'd not otherwise have, but there are many social freedoms that I find are more easily enjoyable (and accessible) in sl.  The bigotry, pretension, social awkwardness, and neuroticism that ensconces a good deal of rl social affairs and casual meetings simply aren't present in sl where the walls of social inequity or physical imperfections simply do not exist.

Everyone is - truly and without pretense - equal in sl; from the low-primmed ruths to the bling-starred socialites, it is the personality that shines through an avatar that determines how that individual is treated and judged.

In sum, it is simply delightful to be back and I have missed each and every one of you very much.