I'm back from vacation but I have nothing to write about because I haven't been doing much in SL except spending time with Karl, hanging out with a friend or two, sorting some inventory, and shopping a little. I can't muster up the interest or energy to do any hunts, collect freebies, or build. I think I should sort more inventory while in this sort of mood because it's easier to throw things out :P
I've been thinking about RL and SL, and keeping a balance between the two. Not just SL, really, but time spent online and at the computer in general. It disturbs me that I come home from work almost every day and sit at the computer, then eventually turn the computer off to go to bed. I'm 31 this year, and this is not the way I want to spend my life.
So I find myself unexcited about shopping and dressing up my avatar, because I can't figure out why what she wears should be important. In the larger scheme of things, she's just a bunch of pixels and, yeah, I want her to look good because she represents me in the virtual world, but I don't need to obsess about it, you know? I don't need to keep accumulating stuff for her and making sure she has all the "must-haves" of the moment, or the latest releases from the top SL designers.
It's just like in RL, accumulating stuff for myself and surrounding myself with stuff is a sign that I've lost sight of the big picture. How many times have I stood in a store and thought: "But it's so cheap. And it would be nice to have. I might need it one day. I'm sure I'll use it eventually. It's quite a useful thing, after all. Better to get it and know that it's there, that way I can grab it whenever I need it." That's what I used to do with books. I have so many books, I estimate about 80% of my books are still unread.
When I look at them, I think, Why do I have all this stuff?!? I'm sure I could do without them -- after all, I haven't even read most of them, so it's not like I'd miss them. Then why do I feel so reluctant to let them go? Just like I feel reluctant to dump things in my SL inventory... even boxes in "Objects" which I've never opened. I wouldn't miss them; I don't know what's in them and have never had a chance to look at them. But I cling on to them anyway.
There's something wrong with this scenario. Now if I were brave enough, I'd open up my SL inventory and delete everything unopened in "Objects", as well as all the stuff in my "Unsorted" folders. I'm not quite brave enough for that, but at this moment I'm telling myself I can at least stop accumulating more nonsense. My new mantra is It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I don't go to Hair Fair. It doesn't matter if I don't do the whatever hunt (I've lost count of the hunts going on). It doesn't matter if I don't get that gorgeous new pair of shoes from [insert name of designer here]. It doesn't matter if the designs are retiring and I will never be able to get hold of them again after this. It simply doesn't matter.
Kudos to you for writing this post, Quaintly! I've felt like this several times this year - after my one month SL break and after my vacation.
"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today."
- Dale Carnegie
Unfortunately my "it doesn't matter" mentality doesn't last very long, and I find myself getting sucked in again. :( I hope you find your balance!
I agree and have been feeling this way myself lately. For the most part I am pretty bored with SL. I too work all day on a computer and then too come home and spend my nights on SL instead of with my husband and dog is quite sad.
I have almost thought about deleting my blog entirely because I just don't have the desire to keep it up anymore. Get on Plurk? Blah..boring.
I don't plan on leaving SL because it does serve its purpose. I do like doing the dressing up type of stuff and taking pics of my self and fixing them up. But that constant need to always be on there more than spend time in RL..well I am over it! Thank god!
Mmm... I see so many different threads on this post.
The emptiness of meaning of the virtual world (which I don't agree, since it is only another way to contact people), or that virtuality should only complement our lifes, not "eat" them (there I totally agree), or the silly matherialism SL fashion seems to inflict on us (I discovered that avoiding fashion blogs helps a bit, but not much; I still love going shopping ;-p).
Even Terri's feeling of cleaning a bit, deleting her blog (please, not! you will probably be sorry later!) or being over with the need of being continously logged in (I thought I was, too, long ago *laughs mirthlessly*).
So many things worth to comment... and I go and choose the simplest one, that I have found that it is way cheaper in time and money to but expesive things when you need them, instead of looking for cheap things that you like and may end needing...
... but I will not say which way is the funnier one .-p