I've seen it all

I remember when I first joined Second Life. I was a shotty nobody who looked like a bunch of pixelated crap. I mean, I was horrible. Bad shape, the infamous noob hobble, and I had the nerve to follow someone who I considered my good friend at the time into Gor. Bad. Move.

It didn't take me long to figure out how to actually work my way around Second Life. I started that glorious thing I call 'Sim Hopping', and from there, I actually learned how to make my avatar look somewhat appealing. And when I did.. Anyanka was born.

Sounds great right? Sort of. When Anyanka was born, what did I do? Dance away on dance pads so I could buy the latest trends, jump around.. say hello to a few people, ask them random questions, the usual how-to and random explanations. And.. to be quite honest, I think I turned out really well.

Reading someones blog made me reflect on this. There's an ugly side to a game that we're all supposed to enjoy. A very ugly and hideous side that I wished that I was ignorant to. Eventually, you start to notice a few things about people. Random conversations that you happen to teleport in on.

This is about no one in particular, just a meaningless generalization. I remember I went shopping with a friend. (Hair shopping, got to love it.) And it was a few weeks ago. Two female avatars were off in the corner, and it seemed like they were there for a long time. They were immersed in a very deep seated conversation of the Second Life kind. Billy dated Sally. Sally loved Billy. Billy didn't love Sally because Billy was cybering Sally's sister. Sally found out. Broke up with Billy. Now Billy and Sally's sister own a nice little parcel of land and they couldn't be happier. However, Sally isn't happy. Sally makes alts and plots revenge. Sally eventually gets banned from Second Life, but somehow.. she manages to come back! Le'gasp! Sally under her new alias, manages to set Billy up by lying and telling Linden Labs that he's actually a minor playing on an adult game! Billy can't offer proof to redeem himself, and Billy gets banned.

Billy comes back under new persona and is back with Sally's sister, but then again, we all know Billy, he's sleeping with Sally's sisters sister. Oh no! Billy moves on with the third incarnation of said sister and next thing you know, its really Sally all along under the new alias!

I could go on and on here..

Seriously, that was pretty much the gist of the conversation. And my IM's to my friend were..

"You gotta be fucking kidding me.."

But it doesn't hit me until then, that.. wow. There are more and more people out there just like those clusterfucks who were out there gossiping in the store.

But then, I've had my fair share of hang ups. Liars, the whole lot of them, and I know how to pick them out well. I like to believe that people are always at their best, sure.. they have their faults. But man oh man, was I wrong. And.. when I'm actually wrong, I do the adult thing. I dismiss myself from their presence, I try not to talk to said person -unless- there's a spot of information I need to know.

"Hey Dood, where did you get those shooz from? I kinda forgot."

Then I get my answer. That's the extent of it all. But, you have that certain someone that just brings it right back up like a hideous blast from the past. Jerry Curl style. And then you have to deal with the ruckus and step -backwards- again.

At some point of your Second Life, you'll eventually meet up with that cronic abuser that people love to hate, and love to love. Surely, he's telling you sweet nothings in your ear, but behind your back he's a brutal, cold bastard who's probably that little fifty year old fat guy who tears down people who've done well for themselves so that he/she/it (which ever avatar it has) could feel like the top dog.

I sit back and I watch, and watch, and watch, and I stay just underneath the radar. My sister always told me that sometimes, that's all you need to do. Just watch. And you'll have your answers. Don't touch, don't get involved, don't speak.. just watch. You'll learn more.