Leif Karlsson

Dear Second Life,
A "game", where my alter ego cames to life, and my virtual wardrobe became way cooler than my real life. A little over 11 years ago, I took first step into the "game" world, like a toddler learning to walk, awkward! but somehow charming. My arms and legs flopped like they were tied to each other, with a loop of rubber.

Very recently, I had some time to introspect, and ask myself, where did all these years go?? (That was while falling out of a sky one night; I had missed a landing point from an old LM)

Well.. for sure it went...
to being a dance god, in virtual clubs..
To walking on water at beach resort, pretending to be a magician....
To medieval castles, assuming role of a wealthy slaver; taming lesser and unworthy..
To raiding unsuspecting poor fisherman villagers and pillaging in planet Gor.. I did things that, well lets say, my stripper sl mom wouldn't have been so proud of me, she once was. Good thing she turned out to be he, and somehow seemed proud of me!

I was living my best of my second life. Endless possibilities: Be it a blood sucking vampire.. to wear a shark fin to terrorize a beach. A rock star or just hanging out in a virtual hot tub while wearing a tiara, it was all good. All sunshine and virtual rainbows. I designed some perfect avatars. Hair so shiny, it looked like it was animated by Pixar. Exploring new places, attending wild parties, and meeting strangers who, for some reason, were always on the dance floor.

But what is a Second Life, that doesn't mirrors the ups and downs of real life!? After all, when you live in a world where I can reset, respawn, and change my life with just a right, followed by a left click; why not live it to the fullest!? The perfect escape from my mundane routine. What I didn’t know was that behind the allure of a world, where I can be anyone, there were lessons to be learned... often the hard way.
Here is a wisdom from an 11 year old avatar, who has lives his prime: "Second Life has a way of making us feel like, our digital self, is just as real as our real self".
While it felt like I was on top of the world, and I forgot, that real life was still happening around me.

The journey wasn't easy. I had a year or two of missing the thrill of the game, the instant gratification of leveling up, the attention I got when I changed my virtual appearance. But I realized something important: my digital avatar was not me. It was just a representation, and representations can be deceiving. I learned that it’s okay to make mistakes, even in a digital world, but it’s more important to recognize them, own them, and grow from them.

Now, when I log in, it’s not to escape my problems. It’s to have fun, occasionally build a ridiculous glowing chair out of prims, that no one can sit on. I still soak in virtual beach resorts, bath in neon lights in virtual clubs. Teleport back in space and time, to medieval castles, raid and slaughter unsuspecting poor fisherman and cage their wives and daughters. color them and sell them in cattle market to highest bidders for coins.

But I've learned to keep the balance. The real world always comes first.