We interrupt ‘normal’ Kittywitchin’ to bring you my take on the ‘Seven SL Facts’ meme that is currently doing the rounds. Berry and Gidge have both made excellent contributions, so I thought I’d jot mine down before if forget or become completely distract…OOH SQUIRREL!

My SL Fact #1

Kitty is an extension of me in a virtual world.  She is me, I am her. I can’t role-play; in my mind one life takes enough living, let alone two. It’s not that I lack the imagination to create a backstory to Kitty because I could create a fabulous one if I wanted to.  I just prefer to think of myself as creative enough to use my real life to illuminate my second one.  There’s no pretension, everything I type is genuine.  In fact, I can’t get my head around why people would pretend to be someone else, but hey, each to their own.

My SL Fact #2

It’s true to say that in many ways my Second Life friends have been more constant than my real life ones.  I don’t see any difference in the friends I have in the virtual universe to the ones I have in the real one.  If anything, I find it far easier to be open and honest with my SL peers than those in real life, but I can also truthfully say the people I’ve met in Second Life have totally enriched my first one, and I have become a better person because of them.

My SL Fact #3

If Second Life ended tomorrow I’d be devastated.  Second Life is as important to me as reading, watching movies or listening to music. Why? Well, I love my home that I have in-world (I’ve had a number of houses and they’ve all been really important to me), and  I love my avatar. As a child I loved playing with paper dress-up dolls (and making my own too) as well as decorating my dolls house.   A lot of the enjoyment I get from Second Life comes from similar activities; decorating my environment and playing pretty kitty dress-up. It’s brilliant therapy for me too when I’m having a ‘bad’ day.

Can you believe I’ve encountered people in world who say they’re bored?! A normal day for me in Second Life can see me clubbing, checking out new locations I’ve spied on the destination guide or had recommended to me, shopping (naturally) or taking pictures for the blog and writing, or hanging with friends or even my RL dad.  I can also get so much just from pottering around my virtual home, even dancing by myself. I love my Second Life very much, and because it rewards me with so many wonderful experiences, I try my very best to do Second Life the justice that I feel it deserves via this blog.

My SL Fact #4

Second Life has created some amazing experiences for me in real life. I’ve been interviewed about it a number of times (on local and national radio) and it has of course allowed me to find an outlet for writing. The SL universe continues to fascinate me on a daily basis; the creative ways that people craft their environment, create objects and other avenues that they find to use the platform helps me to keep the faith that there’s more to the real world than doom and gloom. Some people need a reality check, but I brood too much about real life, so for me a virtual reality check is more important.  Second Life helps to keep me sane.

My SL Fact #5

I get overwhelmed by both lives from time to time and may just *vanish* from the grid for a few weeks or (even months) BUT I always come back. The only explanation I can give for this is that I just become totally overcome by life in general and the lines between both worlds become a bit too blurred for me.  This usually coincides with my having a rough time in real life. I’ve struggled for many years with Bipolar depression and when I’m having a bad time I find it easier to just cut off all extraneous activity and just shut down until I’ve ridden the storm out.  That’s my only coping mechanism. When it’s over; I take a step back,  find my centre again and come back reinvigorated.  I always look forward to coming back, like I said, Second Life is therapy for me, and it feels like I’m coming back home after a trip away.

My SL Fact #6

I’m a simple person, you’ve probably noticed, so it wows me when I find myself talking to Second Life ‘celebrity’ and I’m not ashamed to admit that. I was nearly sick with excitement in real life just by having a chat with Torley Linden FFS!  I’m honoured to have some notable names on my Second Life friends list, but at the end of the day we all sit on our toilets and wipe our asses, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a celebrity in a real world or a virtual one, if you’re a twat I won’t waste my time with you.

My SL Fact #7

I just don’t understand SL drama. I really don’t, it is totally ridiculous to me. The fights and flare-ups that seem to take hold on a weekly basis are just utterly beyond me.  Just what is the point? Real life is complicated enough without adding more anguish to it.  Some of the behaviours that people exhibit are just astonishing.  I often find myself thinking do these people behave like this in real life? Or is it because this is an alternate reality that they think that they can get away with it, meaning that their drama has become more concentrated, and they aren’t really so vitriolic or so plain bloody stupid in reality? I used to get pretty upset by it; now I just prefer to take the Michael Jackson approach and observe from the side-lines. Perhaps my view is too simplistic, but I don’t care what universe you’re living in, karma is a bitch in both lives when she bites you on the ass.

Ah well, when the going gets tough..the tough go fishing!

Kitty and her Dad fishing.