Learning to Set Limits
Apart from being A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) not yet diagnosed, if it weren't for technology and the advent of our beloved internet, frankly, I don't know how I could ever keep myself from going bonkers. My RL BF has learned to accept the fact that I come attached with a Laptop on my person, much like an avatar becomes Xcite Enabled.
Back in the DOT.COM era when millions and millions of dollars were made from start-up tech businesses no one could've conceived that the Internet would soon be a portal to a vast array of 'money making' schemes and dreams where you did not need a physical office or a handful of employees. You could make your millions just by sitting in bed, nude if you wanted to and with a few clicks of the mouse, (and of course some time invested being online) you could reap what you 'virtually' have sown.
Freedom is an empowering feeling. Especially if it's financial freedom that you have attained. But really, are wealthy people truly empowered but their millions? And does being financially empowered also include the ability to attain Peace of Mind? Can you even purchase 'Peace of Mind'? Of course not, though some may beg to differ.
You see, I am an 'all or nothing person'. It has always been my greatest challenge to find moderation in what I do. When I am off, I can easily be on the computer for days on end with little or no sleep, much less forgetting to eat. I do not surf porn, nor do I have an online business. I have several blogs of which I have let lagged and I do not shop online per se, unless it is to browse thru endless sims of malls in SL. Why don't you read a book, people have asked. Hmmm, well, I do, did, can, could, except I already have an account with Audio Books and all I have to do is download the ebook into my iPod and instead of reading, I can listen. Read the newspaper? Well almost all the major newspapers from all over the world are online too. Go out with friends? Mmm okay, but most of my good friends are in other parts of the world so email, and chat usually is the way to go. Pathetic, I know .. but hey, this is the tech revolution.
So, I spend most of my free time in SL. Why? Because SL has truly become my Second Life. No where can I spend L$5,000 on clothes, new fabulous furniture, a new home or two or three, and all the gadgets a GEEK person like me could ever want. My lastest hobby in SL is to browse thru the Land Sales Listing and visit the different Sims offering island parcels of 4096 sq m2 or more. And if a great find just so happens to coincide with PayDay then I usually end up buying an Island and immersing myself with creating on it, a very comfortable living space for myself.
It's like moving to a plot of land and picking out a new home and shopping for all the right furniture pieces and then landscaping the surrounding area. (So very therapeutic for my creative side that never fruitioned into a career and also my undiagnosed A.D.D.).
But when is it enough? When will I realize that having one island with one beautiful home, furnished with fabulous furniture be enough for just Maxine Montale to live in all by her little self. Afterall, how many single women in RL own their own secluded Island with a three-storey glass and concrete home? Some but not many. And certainly not alone.
Perhaps, after acquiring my tenth Island, I should be ready to stop. After allowing my ego to run amuck in SL (with the hopes of distinguishing it from my RL self) I should still be able to find my 'centre' and just be. That would be nice.
Or, after my tenth island, I could just upgrade to owning my own SIM and having a region named after me! Montale Isles! Talk about ultimate Ego tripping! Only in SL, only in SL.
Sigh ....
Back in the DOT.COM era when millions and millions of dollars were made from start-up tech businesses no one could've conceived that the Internet would soon be a portal to a vast array of 'money making' schemes and dreams where you did not need a physical office or a handful of employees. You could make your millions just by sitting in bed, nude if you wanted to and with a few clicks of the mouse, (and of course some time invested being online) you could reap what you 'virtually' have sown.
Freedom is an empowering feeling. Especially if it's financial freedom that you have attained. But really, are wealthy people truly empowered but their millions? And does being financially empowered also include the ability to attain Peace of Mind? Can you even purchase 'Peace of Mind'? Of course not, though some may beg to differ.
You see, I am an 'all or nothing person'. It has always been my greatest challenge to find moderation in what I do. When I am off, I can easily be on the computer for days on end with little or no sleep, much less forgetting to eat. I do not surf porn, nor do I have an online business. I have several blogs of which I have let lagged and I do not shop online per se, unless it is to browse thru endless sims of malls in SL. Why don't you read a book, people have asked. Hmmm, well, I do, did, can, could, except I already have an account with Audio Books and all I have to do is download the ebook into my iPod and instead of reading, I can listen. Read the newspaper? Well almost all the major newspapers from all over the world are online too. Go out with friends? Mmm okay, but most of my good friends are in other parts of the world so email, and chat usually is the way to go. Pathetic, I know .. but hey, this is the tech revolution.
So, I spend most of my free time in SL. Why? Because SL has truly become my Second Life. No where can I spend L$5,000 on clothes, new fabulous furniture, a new home or two or three, and all the gadgets a GEEK person like me could ever want. My lastest hobby in SL is to browse thru the Land Sales Listing and visit the different Sims offering island parcels of 4096 sq m2 or more. And if a great find just so happens to coincide with PayDay then I usually end up buying an Island and immersing myself with creating on it, a very comfortable living space for myself.
It's like moving to a plot of land and picking out a new home and shopping for all the right furniture pieces and then landscaping the surrounding area. (So very therapeutic for my creative side that never fruitioned into a career and also my undiagnosed A.D.D.).
But when is it enough? When will I realize that having one island with one beautiful home, furnished with fabulous furniture be enough for just Maxine Montale to live in all by her little self. Afterall, how many single women in RL own their own secluded Island with a three-storey glass and concrete home? Some but not many. And certainly not alone.
Perhaps, after acquiring my tenth Island, I should be ready to stop. After allowing my ego to run amuck in SL (with the hopes of distinguishing it from my RL self) I should still be able to find my 'centre' and just be. That would be nice.
Or, after my tenth island, I could just upgrade to owning my own SIM and having a region named after me! Montale Isles! Talk about ultimate Ego tripping! Only in SL, only in SL.
Sigh ....
posted by Maxine Montale at 6:54 AM
4 Comments:
Hello, Maxine. I've just spent my morning reading bits and pieces about Second Life, and came upon your blog. I like your perceptions and your openness.
Many years ago, when it was first released, I read and then re-read Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" and was deeply drawn to his Metaverse. How fascinating that now it is beginning to be realised in Second Life. A real case of life imitating art.
I'm not sure I'll join Second Life. I don't have the time to spare and I know how drawn into it I'd be. In the past, I've become so deeply involved in online life and it was nearly to the detriment of my offline life.
And I guess that is the point of my post. In a broader sense, that detriment could exist in society generally. A metaverse that becomes the ideal, while the offline world turns toxic and dystopic.
If the smart, the creative, the innovative and the technically wise expend their talents in the metaverse, what happens to the rest of the world? What happens to the environment? What happens to the poor? Something like a third of the world has never even used a telephone....
Sometimes, I want to go and live in a rainforest and eat leaves. :)
Cheers,
Margaret
Hi Maxine,I really enjoyed this post and the comment Margaret left. I understand what she is saying. I am trying to keep my SL time within limits and I'm trying not to forget about my real life. I'm sure most of my difficulty with this is due to the novelty of SL. It is still new to me and so of course I want to be on all the time. But it does worry me how my RL is starting to seem less desirable with each passing day I spend in my SL.
It's absolutely engrossing and fascinating and to be honest, right now it is better than RL. It is cold and rainy where I am. The days are getting shorter. I have bronchitis and it's an effort to get out of bed and go to work this week. But in SL, I'm surfing the waves and dancing all night. It's always sunny and warm.
I've met the most fascinating people. I love how I can be whoever I want to be and do whatever I want to do. But there is a small part of me that thinks this is insane and very dangerous! I love reading your blog because it comforts me to know that someone who is as intelligent and thoughtful as you obviously are has some of the same concerns as I do! Feel free to look me up in SL if you want! -Sorcha McConachie!
Margaret! That was a fabulous response to this blog entry! WOW. And you are right. My brain had not yet ventured there .. "If the smart, the creative, the innovative and the technically wise expend their talents in the metaverse, what happens to the rest of the world? What happens to the environment? What happens to the poor? Something like a third of the world has never even used a telephone.... ". Thank you for posing that question. Ouch. My mind is in for more yoga and this pose is a new one to me. I do not have a response to your question now. I WILL think about it and hopefully come up with an open and compassionate answer that is part intellect and part 'of Soul'.
Sorcha, I agree. I feel the same way as you do. I was telling someone at work the other day about SL and someone else was listening. That third party asked me, " . but what about your Real Life? What about the special connections you miss out on in Real LIfe because you spend time on some computer playing ouut some fantasy game ...". I told them is was not a game. They did not believe me. Now I am going to think if it is INDEED a game, but not in the sense as we understand a game to be. That should be a good blog topic.
I won't go into details as to why I am starting to like SL better then RL for I am going to elaborate more in a future blog entry. But I jus want to say that I totally understand how you feel. I also agree with Margaret. She posed a question in here that I hope people in SL think about. Ah! In fact, I will post her question in a blog entry and then elaborate on my answer to you.
I wish you well both in RL and SL. Oneday, you will realize that both RL and SL are of two spectrums, and not necessarily on a linear scale .. .. think of UPWARDs and ONWARDs.
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