SL is for More!

Despite puppets telling us that the internet is for porn and despite my recent blogs, I can state with utter conviction that there IS more to do in SL than sex.

The other day a friend and I went to see Glyph Graves’ exhibit at the Crossworlds Gallery. (Thanks Chestnut for your writeup on this in your blog!) Z and I had a great time. Not only did we spend time viewing Graves’ work, but we went to other floors in the multi-level gallery and viewed work by other artists. I had to run off to another engagement but left Z repeating “I have to have that, Oh – I really like THAT”. LOL. So, tah, dearies! A bit of culture! So SL is for ART!

Later that day I logged in to say hi and A was just about to head off sky-diving.

Some FL info here. I have a very very strong fear of falling. I had a little mishap as a toddler and although I’ve managed to shake the recurrent nightmares of the ground disappearing beneath my feet and me falling and falling and falling, I still really do not like the sensation. I don’t like roller coasters – if forced onto one I close my eyes and do math problems in my head the whole ride!!! I don’t like high, arching bridges where you can’t see the other side of the bridge til you are at the very top. I don’t like jumping off the 5 meter board into the pool – I had waaaaaay too much time to know that I was falling. You get my point. I do NOT like falling.

So when A said “Ahuva, come sky-diving with me!” I immediately said “No!”

Now I have flown in SL. That doesn’t bother me. I rode in a sky chair and other sky vehicles in SL, no problem. (I can do that in RL, too.) But deliberately choose to fall? I don’t think so!! But then I said – it’s SL. I can’t get hurt. So I said “What the heck, okay, I’ll come.” And immediately felt my stomach turn over. We went to the airport, got a parachute and went out on the platform. A went over all the rules carefully. He explained that my chute would open almost immediately as it was programmed to open at 100m and we were only at 111m. And then he jumped.

I walked to the edge and looked down. Yep – definitely DOWN. I backed up, readied my camera, took a breath and ran off the edge. I had a sharp pain in my chest, my stomach rolled over and for one brief moment I could not breath. And then my chute deployed and i was floating, not falling. And the world steadied and I took pictures and all too soon – I landed. And I realized that I felt great, that it had been fun, that floating was wonderful (flying is floating, not falling!) and that I wanted to do it again! So A and I jumped a few more times, from a higher height. It was fun and enjoyable. And I thought – I could practice running off this platform. Maybe if I practice running off platforms in SL, I will be able to go off the 5m diving board again. Maybe SL could be used for people with phobias and fears and other behavioral problems. So SL is for THERAPY!