A happy Rez-day!

Yesterday was my first "Rez-Day" in Second Life, the marking of my first year in SL. Often these are celebrated as a virtual birthday, a gathering of friends and virtual family, it is not uncommon for residents to adopt other residents into a family grouping. For my Rez-day my partner Noxluna arranged a surprise party at our virtual home, waking up to find balloons arranged around our home, thought it was a nice reminder that she had not forgotten. We spent much of the day in our home together, relaxing, especially as I was not feeling well, and I for one enjoying that we had no worries of having to run off to some function related to our SL careers, she had already informed the manager at one virtual club we work at that we would not be able to attend.

The party started about Noon Pacific/SL Time, and lasted till about 6:00PM as our friends live all across North America, Europe and even Australia. Among the first arrivals were Blynn who I have known almost as long as I have been in SL and has been my neighbor in SL for as long as I owned virtual property. Katieh who I met when I first visited the virtual club she was working at as a host, Loraine who who we first met while we all worked at my best SL friends short lived club Palisade, and Sherry who we also met there. Also among the first attendees were Kip one of Noxluna's most loyal DJ goupies as well as a good friend, Wayne who owns one of the clubs Noxluna works and an all around good guy, Jerzy and his partner Goldie who are friends of Noxluna's, and Antya one of Nox's longtime best friends. Toward the end or the first wave Bobo and Pyewicket arrived, a pair of real characters and great designers of womans dresses and costumes, and great friends all around.

Most if the first wave left about 3:30 or 4:00 and the second about 5:30 or close to 5:00, Jerzy and Goldie were nice enough to stay and keep us company between them. With the second wave Cydni another one of Noxluna's first SL friends, Nawlins one of my best SL friends that has helped me though some rough times and Sepiroth her man for lacking of a better description, Serenity, Isetine and Quin all who we met at Palisade as well.

We all had a great time, talking dancing, enjoying each others company and bringing groups of friends together. I missed having Ness, Nairda and Rayne there, among other friends, but heard from Ness today. She apologized for missing it do to Real Life work obligations which of course should come first. Though I would like to thank all those friends that did attend if they read this, It was one of my best times in SL, and I thank you all! It was a great Rez-Day and an example of how Second Life can bring people from all over the world together in a 3D Environment without competition.

A journeys beginning.

Many people do not seem to understand Second Life, what it is, what one can do there, and what really goes on. Some people do not understand because of lack of knowledge, other because what knowledge they have gained is from sensationalized reports by press that fall into the first category and stumble across the "Underground" that most of us simply can not condone. I will be honest, SL (Second Life) is really not something you can fully explain, it really needs to be experienced, though not taken to seriously. I started into the world intrigued by the very notion of a 3D virtual environment created by its users called "Residents", where a resident is in certain terms only limited by their imagination.

I was not terribly outgoing when I first joined SL, I was still grieving the loss of a woman I cared very deeply for, and I was easily described as dark, dour and broody, and rightfully so. I began meeting people making acquaintances who would later as I grew and began to heal would become friends. I came to SL as a representation of myself, and so the darkness I felt was mirrored in my avatar, and remained for quite some time even as the avatar was refined and lost its cartoony appearance. Eventually I was introduced to a place called The Pier, though my dark appearance seemed out of place, I made several good friend there even if my dark, broody quiet nature scared them a little at first. I began to feel comfortable sharing elements of my "First Life" with and my loss, they were kind and caring and my best friends in SL to this day. With their guidance and support I was able to start to heal, or at least lay the foundation. It was also there that I found my calling as a SL DJ and found my heart and soul in Vocal Goth music, with this start was able to expand to a larger world.

I would not have thought I would do anything that would put myself as the center of attention, I was always the type to be off in my own corner at parties, but I did so at first more as tackling a technical problem, something I enjoy. DJing lead me to something else I had never intended coming to Second Life. I met Noxluna at a time where I was still dark, dour and broody, but I had began to loosen up. Since November 2007 we have been together, she has been the greatest influence in my healing, she taught me to love myself again, and partnered almost 4 months later in February 2008, though think and thin, and all the challenges in between we have been at each others side ever since. Our feeling are true though we can not bring our relationship across the virtual boundaries as others have, and we express them daily.

Second Life is not a mere game to everyone, nor is it a mere fantasy land for all. For some its a place of business, for others it is a place where they find love, some come together outside of Second Life, others can not cross that boundary for any number of reasons. There are live singers that perform regularly that have the most amazing voices, clubs in all themes and with all genres of music. It's not an orgy pit, though cyber sex does occur in its proper places, there is so much more to it. Yes there are some activities that consentingly occur that I do not agree with, and there are those elements who would try to use SL in an illegal manner as sometime published in sensationalized articles, but the bad is so much out weighed by the good.