♥What Second Life is to me and what it means to me.♥

 Hi everyone!

It has been a while, but it's better to have "a little while" than stop blogging entirely or have a two to three-year break from my blog. Yes, this has happened.

Although I don't think I have to take extended breaks for my blog now because I can now dictate to my computer, which goes way faster than I have to type.

I don't know what I will be calling this blog post yet, so I'll just write whatever comes to mind and put the title in last.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In about two months, I will be celebrating my 12th anniversary in second life… 12 years.. that is so crazy to me. 

I'm going to try to explain to you how I see second life because I know that I see second life a hell of a lot different than what other people, and I know I'm being looked at as "crazy" most of the time because of the way I see second life.

You would be surprised by how many people approach me every day in second life and tell me, "don't you think you take second life a bit too serious?"

Have you been in my shoes? Do you know my everyday life when I'm not in second life? Do you know what I have to go through?

Second life used to be my escape, and I think that is true for many people, but it's not true for me anymore. I don't have to escape because I love my real life. I don't want to escape it. I want to enhance it.

Every day when I log into second life, I "step into" myself, and I have told people it's time and time again, but they don't really seem to get it, so I am just going to show you what I mean when I say "stepping into" myself.

The little video clip is from a movie called avatar; this is how I feel every time I log into second life.

If you have not seen the movie avatar, I highly recommend that movie, especially the first few scenes, because that is literally Second life to me.

Most readers should know that I was born with cerebral palsy.

If you don't know what cerebral palsy is, I will boil it down for you into straightforward facts that everybody should understand. Still, I have done a really in-depth three-part series on my disability, so if you want to learn even more, I suggest you click on the tab my disability. I'll bet the top here on my blog.

I am not paralyzed. My disability mainly affects my legs. Cerebral palsy occurs in the brain. Parallelization happens when the spinal cord is severed.

I can feel everything. But the signals going from the brain to my legs that would tell my legs to run, walk or stand don't work on me. My brain is unaware that I have legs, so if I were to stand up, I would immediately fall down because no signals are going.

I found second life back in 2010. Back then, I was really in a bad way mentally, and second life literally saved my life. You can ask my friends or anybody that knows me about this. I am not kidding or exaggerating whatsoever.

      Second life has helped me grow up into the person I am today

      second life has allowed Have the confidence I have today

      second life has helped me be the inspiration I want to be for others

      second life has enabled me to see what I want and what I don't want in my life.

      second life has given me the platform and the confidence to not hide my disability

      Second life has given me freedom within me

      second life has given me rights to my sexuality

      Second life has given me the freedom to be me without the awkwardness of people seeing my wheelchair first.

      Second life has given me the choice of how, when, and where I tell people that I have a disability in real life.

      Second life has taught me not to be scared of putting myself out there

      Second life has taught me not to care about what other people think because it's my life, not theirs.

 

The list can go on and on forever, so I will just stop there.

So yes, I see second life a hell of a lot different from others, but I also think that people are so afraid of letting second life be life-changing for them.

I also think that people keep what they genuinely feel about second life and how important it is to them a secret to others because they don't want to feel crazy or be looked at ask crazy.

I take second life seriously because it really is MY SECOND LIFE.

And no one can ever try to tell me differently.

Why do I look the way I look in second life?

It has to do with the fact that I do "step into" myself when I log into second life, so it wouldn't make sense if I made my avatar not represent what I look like in real life as closely as possible. By the way, me using the word avatar happens once in a blue moon, so don't expect me to say it often because when people say to me," oh, you have a beautiful avatar," that kind of "disconnects me" from being me in second life.

Yes, I am still living at the beautiful Essencia Hotel. 

although I had to downgrade from the deluxe room to a standard room because it was getting too expensive for me (whoops!)

but... *sighs happily* I love it here.

I am lying on the hotel's beach listening to some music and the birds while I'm writing this, so relaxing!

I currently have one month and three weeks left on my rental. I think I will top it up, so it becomes two months… just saying…..

If you don't believe that this place is captivating, come here and try it out. You will have a hard time not coming back to this place. Trust me on that.

Until next time don't be afraid to say hi to me if you see me at the hotel. And don't be scared to just IM me.

/Tessa