Minding my age

Sometimes, someone says something that rubs me the wrong way. Last night, a young man (who admitted being half my age) said to Alt #11, "i dont worry if ur 40 and divorced."

I bristled.

By saying that he doesn't mind my age, he implied that being in my 40's and divorced somehow makes me less desirable.

I told him that his comment made me feel insulted. I didn't put that information in my profile to apologize for being older. I put it there to attract older men, or at least to attract men who actually enjoy -- and not just settle for -- women in their 40s.

So I wished him goodnight and ended the conversation.

To his credit, he apologized and said that he didn't mean it that way. Some people are not aware of their own prejudices.

I'm not saying all young men think that way either. Just a couple of weeks ago, I met a very sweet (and very flirty) 18-year-old at the same place, and he flatters me. In fact, he's one of my new would-be lovers, but I haven't mentioned him in this blog til now. I don't think it'll get deep, however, but the flirtations are charming. His nickname? "Hot Wings". ;)

Four

Yep. Four. Still here.

Three

Yesterday was my third rez day. It was a quiet day. I had too many things going on irl that I didn't have time to make plans for a celebration.

But, as I did in the past, I made a gift for friends -- a custom version of the "Etched in Stone" jewelry sets. I wish I had more time to create something entirely new. Ah, well, maybe next year.

Again, August proves to be a significant month in my SL. The most important change this year is the fact that I went to SLCC, which prompted me to decide to reveal my RL identity to friends. That already had a significant impact in my life and I'm sure it will make a big difference in my friendships and romantic relationships in the coming year.

I am also starting a new venture in my RL alt that bridges SL and RL, and we'll see how that goes. I also just moved residences irl, so maybe August is starting to affect my RL as well.

Here's a toast to my friends for another great year.

2yrs 2day

Yup, folks! I'm two today!

Don't worry. I've been terrible the past two years, so I can't get any more terrible than that. :D

August seems to be a significant month for me in Second Life. I joined SL in August 31, 2006. I set up shop at the old Sirens Mall with my first four Mer Betta tails on August 10, 2007. And yesterday (August 30), I walked my first official fashion show as a graduate of the MODA Modelling School.

The first two events proved to be significant milestones in my life. Discovering SL changed my RL, and launching Mer Betta changed my SL. Only time will tell how significant my MODA graduation will be in the coming year.

365.24

Three hundred sixty-five days. Oh, alright,... And a quarter.

365 days of laughter, of tears, of love, of friendships, of incredible conversations, of music, of art, of science, of dancing, of shopping, of hanging out, of exploring, of learning, of building, of scripting, and of blogging.

I have lived a full life sitting in my office chair.

Here's a toast to all my dear friends, to all my sweet lovers, to every soul that touched mine, to every creative spirit that made Second Life what it was in the past year and what it will be in the following years.

Here's to another 365 days (and a quarter) of laughter, of tears, of love, of friendships, of incredible conversations, of music, of art, of science, of dancing, of shopping, of hanging out, of exploring, of learning, of building, of scripting, of blogging, and whatever else I discover in this world.

I can honestly say, I have never truly lived until I lived in Second Life.

And isn't it ironic?

Sunrise in Aglia

I remember the first time I was aware of the sunrise in Second Life. I was only a few days old. I had purchased my land on the hillside in Aglia and I had just built my home over the Labor Day weekend. It was just after midnight SLT and I was about to log off, when my lover logged in. The sun was rising where he was, just as the sun was rising in SL.

It was an innocent time. A time when we were preoccupied with figuring out how to take a bed out of a box and how to position it. A time when my Friends List had only a few people. A time when SL seemed incredibly huge. A time when each day brought a sense of wonder and amazement in this new magical world. A time before Xcite. A time before sex balls. A time before heartbreaks.

As I approach the first anniversary of my rez day, I sit again by my pond and watch the sunrise and remember.

There was a time when going into people's virtual yards felt like trespassing. A time when I wondered what was down in the valley. A time when I was curious about the people who built these structures. Now that I know every piece of land in my sim, now that I know the layout of the valley like the back of my hand, Aglia feels small and crowded. The view of the valley has different meaning now.

Now that I know how to build, how to script, how to create animations, how to make clothes, how to create sculptie textures, -- now that I know how things work -- very few things amaze me anymore. And I wonder. Could I bring the magic back? Could I still experience that sense of wonder and amazement? Could I still see SL through the eyes of a newbie?

Blessed are the newbies, for they have a time full of magic and wonder and amazement ahead of them.

The young 'uns

"I'm not a kid."

I heard that twice already in my short lifetime in SL. The first time, from a 19-year-old, who wanted to take me to the sex temple, and who resented the fact that I called him "jailbait." The second time, from a 15-year-old, who sneaked into the adult grid because he wanted to make money and be able to curse, and who begged me not to ban him.

However, to a woman in her early forties, they ARE kids. I figured I would meet mostly 20-somethings in SL, and I was relieved when the first person I met was only two years my junior, so I guess there's a wide range of ages in SL. I don't always ask people how old they are, but I can pretty much intuit someone's maturity level by the way they behave, by their interests, by the way they talk.

I've met other young people -- a builder who just needs company and approval, a sensitive soul who had to deal with harsh words from his peers, and others who just want to hang out.

However, sometimes, these kids surprise me. The 19-year-old had already thoughtfully formed his own theories about existence, for instance.

They seem to know the basics of staying safe online. And when I warned the 15-year-old to stay away from the adult areas, he said, "I hate that stuff, it's not meant to be on a game." Hopefully, that innocence would protect him.

Both said I needn't worry about them, but my maternal instincts still nag at me....