So – I’m on a research mission to understand what it means to live in a virtual space through an avatar. I send Derridada out like the Mars Rover to get information and send pictures back to me of what he finds. And so Derri meets people. He asks questions. He listens. Sometimes he listens to funny stories. Sometimes he listens to sad stories. Sometimes he meets people in SL who are working out complex issues that they are also trying to work out in RL. Sometimes he just banters back and forth as others make jokes, quote movies, talk about music, and talk about their day. What surprises me is that in all cases Derri listens. He makes new friends, becomes concerned if they are having a good day or not, shares information and seems to learn a bit more about himself – or at least more about the person driving him. And the question I keep coming back to is why does this little critter that I created and pilot and dress and think through seem to be so much more patient and so much more compassionate than I am? Why is it that this virtual image is capable of magnifying traits in SL that I work very hard on sublimating in RL? I wonder if I just had him stick to dancing if I would learn as much about myself. Hmmmmm.
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