I recently wrote a post in which I shared my thoughts on our responsibilities to others in the world of Second Life. After I wrote the piece I understood that the problem between AvieA and AvieB had subsided. However, it is my sad duty to report that not only has the issue that inspired the previous post not died down, but rather it is festering and infecting the lives of others in the community.
I was a witness to the problem first hand two nights ago and I'm still working through my head how to cope with this situation. Initially I was LIVID. Adrenaline rush kinda LIVID. Friends and I (including AvieA) were having a great time at a party when AvieB tp'd in and laid out some heavy handed bullying techniques which brought the fun to a screeching halt. I was nuts out of my mind that someone could do that, it was ridiculous! Really, it was the most insane thing I've seen someone do for.....I don't know....forever!! I quickly removed myself from the situation to avoid taking rash action and thus lowering myself to AvieB's level. But I haven't stopped thinking about what happened. It was too bizarre! Here I had finally had an opportunity to see something that up until now had been hearsay.
I've considered whether to include the details above in writing this post because I don't want to fuel this insanity. But I decided at least this part of the story is necessary to give insight as to how deeply this has all affected me.
You might wonder why I'm spending so much time thinking about this. Why do I really care? I'd say see my previous post. But also, when I see this happening I see a failure of humanity and it makes me sad. I can't wrap my mind around AvieB's behavior. I can't fathom why months later she is still continuing with this issue instead of dropping it and moving on. I've even tried to consider her side of the story. But I still don't understand what would compel her to be aggressive and take affirmative steps to bring another person down as I witnessed the other night. I will probably never understand.
At times like this I step out of Queen's brain into my RL person because SL can sometimes be a tricky and deceitful little bastard. I try to get some perspective by looking through the RL lens. Here, AvieA and AvieB, two RL people, are sitting at their keyboards and operating avatars as if they're reading off of an old Days of Our Lives script. But the problem is, at least from what I perceive, at least one of them is not having fun doing it.
What's going on in AvieB's RL life, mind, soul that she delights in her around the world power trip? I've seen RL pictures of AvieB because she's made them public. I've looked into a picture of her RL eyes as she poses with a RL friend. She looks like a happy attractive person with friends and activities to fulfill her life. I can't imagine what is so horrible in a person's RL that they have to come into Second Life and act the way they do. I rarely find answers when I wonder. And here instead, I found compassion for the person behind AvieB. My heart goes out to the RL person who needs to live in a persona whose existence seems to depend on wielding superficial powers that result in another's misery.
This was a hard post to write. I hesitated to write it because I'm not interested in engaging with either AvieA or AvieB to "take sides" and I fear there may be some backlash from this post. But I also know that whether we're in Second Life, or another social internet platform, there is a lesson to be learned from these people. I feel for both of these people because they are caught up in the nastier side of Second Life where people forget that there are humans behind the avie. Maybe, just maybe, they might read this and it might help. If not them, then maybe it will help another by reminding them that even in a world of pixels the way we conduct ourselves affects the people around us.
At times like this I am thankful for my RL and SL and the family, friends and love I have in both RL and SL that have helped me to develop the strength and thoughtfulness to be mindful of others and to never have to bring another person down in order to boost myself up.
Finally, Second Life is a place to be anything you want to be, do anything you want to do. In the immortal words of Viv Savage, "Have... a good time... all the time."
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