Its late in the evening here in Europe while I start writing my story. Even though I feel tired, I am anxious to start writing it down.
This story, my story, is about my Second Life; it is about people, about emotions and a revolution that has only started the last decade. The metaverse, and how real the people are in it.
Now, while many people who havent experienced it, as well as some only beginning their virtual adventures, may see these virtual worlds (SL being the most social one of them), as a game, those who have lived it, felt it, realize how real it actually is.
I will tell you about my own second life, about my experiences in and out world, and of the people I have met inside.
Perhaps I should start properly. My name is Flicka.
While I am closing down Skype to not allow to get it into the way of my typing, I am trying to think back of the time where I first heard about SL and about my very first day in world.
Early November 2006
Irony. Yes, that is the word best suited to describe it. It was my real life boyfriend, Joris, who saw the article in the paper while we were travelling to God-knows-where on a train. Destination unknown; I can not remember it, but the moment he shoved the article under my nose, saying I might be interested in it, has been burned deeply like a print on my brains.
The article was, as you may have guessed, about Second Life. How you could be whoever you like, explore the virtual world, and meet people from all over the real life world.
Combine this with the girly memory from Barbie dolls, girls loving fashion, and youve certainly got one girl interested already ;-)
So when I went home that day, or was it the next day, I, impatiently, installed Second Life. Those registration forms certainly seemed to be taking hours to be filled in.
I can still remember, the first time I actually logged in, walking around all wiggly like a duck. Like everyone else has to , I went trough the first tutorial sim. Once I managed to figure out how to walk, talk, edit appearance and all that stuff, somehow I managed to find the way out.
I teleported to the main grid. This place was full of avatars full of excitement because they had discovered they can fly! Wow!! I had to try this of course.
Actually it was a fun place, people being all exited about this new world all of us had discovered, rezzing the most silly things.
After a couple of minutes I was curious to see more, so I went exploring that sim. I came into a grey building with huge windows and really could not figure out what the use of it was. I tried to see if I could buy something there, read something there, anything would have done actually. Sad thing is, I almost left SL on day1 because of this, because that welcoming sim was just so said and uninteresting for new people. All the buildings were grey empty shells connected by long streets. Since I had just learned how to fly, I really could not figure out the use of these.
I know I had made a friend over there, a guy. I wish I could say, just like most of the regular people in SL, that I still know him (first friend). We had talked for a while, but somehow that faded away and now I can not even remember his name.
What I can remember is Mary; my big sister Mary, that is how I saw her. I can not remember how when or where we met, but she had been great towards me. She was funny, knew where to get all the best freebies or 1L$ shops (this is like gold for a newbie), and she was always dressed very noticeable.. I loved her style, she wore outfits that were nearly costumes. Writing that down it hits me, I remember again where I met her.
Mary was an interesting woman. She had long golden hair, an outfit with peacock feathers, and was standing somewhere lecturing people who were apparently gasping and hung tight on every word she said. I thought she was beautiful. Her entire presence was.
I told her in private how impressed I was by her; we began talking and ended up having a friendship that went on for really long. She was my friend, my big sis, and for a long time my inspiration inside Second Life. Some people just stand out, and she did. She was a wonderful person.
What happened to Mary... I do not know, one day she sadly just never turned up inside Sl anymore. Yet, she deserves to be in here, as I hope all newbies will get their own Mary, for they are a true blessing.
