SLivers of Joy

So much of my time in SL has a "serious" element to it. Friends complain to one another about their boyfriends, jobs, and woes. Some are working to sustain their in-world businesses and need time to work, or feedback on a prototype gown or ceiling. We discuss the deleterious effects of the rise of evil companies like Electric Sheep and their ongoing efforts to turn our beloved world into Wal-Mart.

It's odd, because the perception of most people who don't spend time in MMOs is that we're just addicted to playing pointless games. We try to help them understand the value of spending time in MMOs, by describing the real friendships that develop, the opportunities for personal experimentation and expression, and the serious uses of these technologies by corporations, educators, and the military. They remain skeptical. But what's really funny is actually just how much time we aren't playing at all. We're scripting and modeling, cooperating on a project, launching a business, or just sitting and chatting.

Last night in Second Life, I played. It was pure silly cathartic play. It served no purpose other than the jouisssance of the moment. It was that surprisingly uncommon SLiver of joy, razor-thin lunar happiness against a beautiful and mysterious, but altogether dark, sky.

Three of us, Mistress L, dear friend C, and myself put on our bathing suits (and in one extreme case, snake outfit), whipped out diving boards and twisty waterslides, cartoon character inner tubes, swimming anims, and just played in the water for an hour. It was a lot like the experience of a child hanging out in a real pool with family on a hot summer day. What a delight! Here are some pics: