Days of Our Second Lives

Quest in the News

The Quest is making news!

CNN: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-279943

Adventures of a Reluctant Quester: Part III

Wow…great music here in Chelsea. Wonder if Max likes to dance?  Supposed to take a walk around ...let's go for it. Better turn the music off so we can hear the cars, buses, and bustle of London.

Ok…I am going to close my eyes and let's see if you can take me across the street without getting us both pixilated.  Good doggie…so far so good. You start sniffing around. We are supposed to smell London…how about leading me toward something delicious?

Why are you stopping?  Sniffs…ah smells like Indian Food. Why are you pulling me away? Wait a second. I like Indian food!  Hmmm. You barked. You trying to tell me something? You don't want Indian food?  Ok, sniffs again. Smells like fish…fried fish. Fish and chips…gotcha… you want to eat English…no saffron, curries or chutney. Do you think anyone will mind if I ask for ketchup with my fries…I mean chips. Dah!

So what do you think…you like hanging out with me? It's important that we become close buds…I am putting my life into your hands and all I have to pay you back with are dog biscuits…
Now what are you barking about???  Did you say write!!  Oh the quest!!!  Completely forgot...having too much fun…

One of Those Days

It was one of those days
when even air chafed the skin
and my eyes - sleep focused on dim dreams
of loss and longing - refused
to completely acknoweldge the morning.

I slept halfway through the first cup
of never-strong-enough coffee
through my cat's incessant purr
the bleeps and pings and tiny rings
of online friends
calling me home.

How did they know
I needed those gentle 
half-formed notes - the abbreviated versions
of their daily lives
to recall me to my own?

How did he know - that persistent, patient man
with a surgeon's touch -
to pursue the threads of unraveled lies
down to bone
down to a simple gift of love
carried on a cry?

It was one of those days -
a day I could've done without
but without a doubt
wouldn't have missed
for the world.
                                               - Jenaia

ONE MORE WONDERFUL POEM

If You Are Lucky in This Life

If you are lucky in this life
A window will appear on a battlefield between two armies.

And when the soldiers look into the window
They don't see their enemies
They see themselves as children.

And they stop fighting
And go home and go to sleep.
When they wake up, the land is well again.



By Cameron Penny,
who was a 4th grader in a Michigan school when he wrote this poem.
The poem was originally published in 2001.

 

Adventures of a Reluctant Quester: SL Gets Borked!

Second life was borked all weekend. Good news... No pressure to write. Bad news... missed Max. I'd like the idea of him curled up next to me.

Note to self: read up on pixel morphing and augmented reality. Hopefully easier than writing.

As a kid, I would start getting anxiety attacks in July about having to write a composition on what was the favorite thing I did on my summer vacation. Hard to claim writer's block when you have no claim to have ever been a writer.

Ok....Second Life is unborked. On to clue #3.... Hellooo Max
                                                              - Marty Snowpaw

Note from Editor to Marty: Max is an attachment, hence your errr....attachment to him ;-)

Good luck on the Quest.

Adventures of a Reluctant Quester: Part II

Ok…time to meet Max. I hope he can read my tag and see that my last name is SnowPAW. That should definitely help. Like we are brothers.  

Lots of research to do here….reading and watching videos…easy. Take my time…see if my dog is psychic…keep him calm yes but what about me. Nervous what if doesn’t like me…growls. Dog biscuits…lots of dog biscuits. 

Nice doggy…hey this is easy. Look at that sweet face…soft coat…ahhh…he is licking my hand…this is a nice doggy. Instructions say see if he is breathing…ok…wet nose…clearly a live dog… (secretly hopes he can write). 

Good that I saw how to use the harness…now lets see if he can find stuff. Wow…right to the flower. Not going to let Max read the story…too sad.  

Onto the ponder pebbles. "What am I grateful for today and why?" Well that is easy…getting Max! 

                                                                                          - Marty Snowpaw

Talking HIV Testing

It's not the easiest subject for sure, but as HIV Testing Day approaches (June 27th) and more and more folks stop by Karuna to take part in the Healing Quest, the notion of sharing difficult or at least challenging stories seems to get eaiser. 

I've had three really interesting and insightful conversations over the past week with avatars who stopped by to see what the Quest was about: one about how her family's struggles with cancer has changed how she sees her body; another with a friend recently diagnosed as HIV positive; and a third that had nothing to do with health or HIV at all, but whose reflections on how he's been tested by life left me close to tears.  People are pretty darn amazing sometimes.

Hard on the heels of the posting of the third clue for the Healing Quest came an invitation to talk about HIV Testing Day with Paisley Beebe, a TV talk show host here in Second Life.  Much to my surprise I found that I had a lot I wanted to say about HIV Testing Day, but little of it had to do with the facts of the event, which can be easily obtained here: www.aids.gov.   What really interested me were the stories - the organizations and groups that are working to debunk the stigma associated with testing positive for HIV and the resulting reluctance to be tested. 

Anyone who spends any time with me knows that stories are my passion. To me they are the way in, touchstones to the essential spark or spirit that makes us each unique.  They are also the source of the Narrative Thread™ that allows us to create community and makes sense of our lives.  The news that organizations like The Southern AIDS LIving Quilt, AIDS.gov, the CDC, and The National Association of people Livnind With AIDS are collecting and sharing stories of those dealing with HIV/AIDS was exciting and empowering.  This is what I wanted to talk about - where I hoped the conversation would lead.  Why?  Because in the end it is the stories that matter - the narrative threads we weave and leave with one another that help us celebrate and learn from the lives that we've lost.

So I was a little disappointed tonight, but hopeful nevertheless. The conversation got started.  The notion of HIV Testing was broached, Karuna was introduced and our plans for building a strong, supportive and imaginative community put out to Second Life.  I hope that there will be more conversations like this - that Second Life residents will accept our offering of information, creative space, and engaging classses and help us make not only HIV Testing Day, but every day on Karuna a celebration of life.

To see our post on HIV Testing and Karuna in general, please visit the AIDS.gov blog at: http://blog.aids.gov/2009/06/i-know-i-took-the-test-stories-from-second-life.html

To learn more about what is happening on Karuna, see our web site: www.karunahiv.com

Some Hard Facts About HIV and AIDS

According to the CDC, someone is infected with HIV Every 9 ½ Minutes

There are currently 33 million people worldwide thought to be living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, only about three million people in the developing world have access to lifesaving antiretroviral AIDS medication.

In the US alone, one million people have been diagnosed with AIDS

Of the 1 million people who have HIV, 1 out of 5 doesn’t know he or she is infected.  This means the virus can be accidentally passed to others. 

A disproportionate # of African Americans are affected by HIV/AIDS. Forty-five percent of the new infections were among blacks/African Americans, 35% among whites, and 17% among Hispanics.

 

Although blacks/African Americans comprise only 12% of the US population, 45% of new HIV infections occurred in blacks/African Americans.

14,000 die of AIDS in US each year

The Adventures of a Reluctant Vision Quester

The post that follows was written by a good friend (he might say long suffering friend) who agreed to be my guinea pig on the Vision Quest.  I will be sharing his adventures will you as he works through each clue and comments in his own hilarious way about what it's like to be a Vision Quester.  Enjoy and check back tomorrow to see the next installment.

  Marty's Vision Quest: Part I

Day one of the "Vision Quest" with Max, Any 1 Gynoid blasting her way through the clues racing to be the first person to complete her story. Yay! Any….you go girl. I was never going to be in the competition to finish first… 

I will need to take my time and let the clues give me all the help they can…I like my hand held while I push through the gates to get my first clue. Looking forward to having Max to guide me…I only wish he could write…lol. 

Ok my first choice is to see whether I will be a dog telling the story or myself…that is an easy one. Anthropomorphism was never my strong suit. I barely know what I think about anything let alone a dog. Let's see if I can get Marty Snowpaw through the quest. Not sure how I could type with paws anyway…dah! 

Great! I can watch a video and then also read the transcript and postpone the writing. I am not sure how I feel about Max staring out at me from the poster…I hope I did not offend him by not writing the story from his point of view...more anthropomorphism… geesh. I will just give him a biscuit and head over to Karuna to get my first clue….Hoping it will be the topic sentence and opening paragraph already written. 

Yikes…a dark room…find the bed…touchy feelie my way around the room. Found it. Time for a nap. Actually no…time to use my imagination and write…Hey can someone please bring me a light? 

Searching for Vision in Second Life

The notion of Vision Quests is nothing new. Many cultures, most notably the Native Americans of North America understood the value of finding ways to "see" in new ways.  Even without the physical sense of sight our bodies are constantly giving us feedback on the world around us.  But there is another way to see as well - a way that I would argue takes us beyond our outward perceptions and physial sensory data to get at the heart of what makes us each unique.

The Native Americans used Vision Quests to look for insight and guidance from the spirit world.  They believed that everything, from plants and stones to rivers and animals is imbued with spirit. Moreover, that "spirit" was part and parcel of themselves as well and could be called upon when needed. 

Here in a world populated by Avatars (a word that means the embodiment of spirit!) the notion of a Vision Quest takes on new and delightfully playful meanings.  Residents can not only embark on journeys of self-discovery, but build and interact with aspects of it as well.  Even more powerful is the potential to create community by chronicaling their expereinces as stories; stories I might add that can be told in a wide range of formats and venues - voice, words, music, photos, videos, podcasts, 3D builds....you get the idea.

Today, Saturday June 20th, marks the start of The Virtual Worlds Story Project's* first Vision Quest.  Entitled, "Exploring what it means to see," the quest was created in celebration of the launch of Max a virtual guide dog created to assist the blind and visually impaired to function in Second Life.  The Quest takes participants through a series of experiences, each designed to give insight into the worlds of those who cannot see with their eyes.  The point of course is that there are many ways to see, and that sometimes the lack of one ability means another is greatly enchanced.

Participants on the Vision Quest are being ably assisted by Max, a handsome, brown-eyed German Sheperd who is able to find and lead his owner to objects and avatars.  Max is always FREE, and can be obtained at several places in Second Life.  If you would like to take part in the Quest, simply follow the SLURL below or E-mail Jenaia Morane (Jenaia@tvwsp.com) for details.

Teleport to the Start of the Quest: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Olde/128/128/30

Max's launch will be commemorated by a whole host of other activities on Helen Keller Day, June 27th hosted by Virtual Helping Hands .  These include:

• Keynotes by Keller Johnson Thompson (Helen Keller's great grandniece), Pathfinder Linden, and Marcie Roth (Executive Director of National Coalition for Disability Rights)
• Speakers and panel discussions on Education, Employment, Entertainment, and Social Engagement
• Guidedog Wheelchair Races
• Where's Max Flickr contest
• Accessiblity Building Contest
• Sound Sculptures
• See with Sound presentations
• Dog Park Play with SL canines
• Gold Mine Game
• 3D Wiki Game
• "Style-Enabled" fashion show
• Guide Dog Memorial Park

We will also be chronicaling the ongoing saga of a reluctant Vision Quester, Marty Snowpaw, so stay tuned for daily updates on his progress ;-)

*The potential for Questing in Second Life is enormous and the Vision Quest is the first in what promises to be a whole series of fascinating journeys of exploration. Be sure to visit The Virtual Worlds Story Project's Questing page often for updates, or bookmark this blog.

Out of the Ballpark!

Tonight I was invited to tell a story on the theme, "The Spiritual Avatar."   After giving it some thought I talked about my discovery that the word "avatar" means the incarnation of the divine, and how I came to terms with the fact that Jenaia is a very real and vital express of that essetial spark of Light. 

The audience at Nosotr@s in Cedar Island was small but attentive.  Some 20 avatars listened intently, and when I was finished, jumped feet - errrrrr pixels- first into the writing exercise I proposed they do.  Here was the exercise:

At the top of a blank document or clean sheet of paper, write this phrase: How To Be + your avatar's name.  Take ten minutes to write about what you would like to have your avatar (that spark of the divine) express.  This was the example I shared with them (penned by my delightful and talented friend Raevn Rhiadra):

How to Be Jenaia

Take on way too many projects for one mortal to accomplish.
Laugh out loud at the silliest things.
Snarl out loud at the world's stupidity.
Fight the world's stupidity with every idea in your head.
Love fiercely if not always wisely.
Stay up way too late.
Create, create, create.
Teach others tirelessly.
Watch the world unblinkingly, unflinchingly, for any sign of hope.
Hold every sign up like a beacon for all to see.

And this is what they came back with:

How to be Usil
When I meet some one I show them I care :)

Usil Has Taken a vow to help others and do no harm.

Usil Teaches acceptance to all the world,  S/L is a family of mankind not countries. Just one family.
 What you learn in here you must take into the real world and show people the real you.
 In time you will see,,,I promise.
 
  Usil Strives to Live the Tao,  In Taoism, the basic, eternal principle of the universe that transcends reality and is the source of being, non-being, and change.
                                                     We will maintain civility when faced with controversy.
                                                     We will be as empathetic and helpful as we can be in difficult situations.
                                                     We will give respect to those we help, despite knowing it may not always be returned.
                                                     We will seek and emphasize the positive in a situation.

People In R/L laugh a bit then get an inquisitive look on their face when I tell them I have a Mentor and her Name is Usil Bailey :XD

How to be Kara Spengler

obviously I am catlike
fun ... but also serious
always listening
volunteering, teaching and mentoring ..... a lot
standing up for others
kidline (and sometimes a kid)
caring
not mind if other's enjoyent of second life is different than mine
casual dresser in jeans, a tee and no shoes (usually .... right now I decided the adult content policy change is unfair to those who enjoy it so being matrixy seemed more fitting)

basically, an idealized version of my RL self

my kid AV is like Kara, but a lot more kidlike

How to Be: Caledonia

-- Be kind and open
-- Laugh often and long.  Remember what Mom said, "Life is too important to be taken seriously."
-- Show respect for others, and be tolerant of ideas which may not be your own
-- There is plenty of room in the Grid for everyone - things don't have to always be your way.
-- Find work/activity/involvement that has meaning
-- Create, Create, Create!!!
-- Under No Circumstances, allow yourself to be put in charge
-- PLay! Play! PlAY! Always be ready to play
-- Whether in a relationship, a task, or a commitment (or when shopping!), never forget "why?"
-- Accept the choices you make, and accept whatever they may mean.
-- You ALWAYS have choices.
-- When communicating, remember that you cannot connect with an actual set of eyes, so you must take the time and effort to be clear, and pursue clarity
-- Never, ever stop learning.

It occurs to me, as it occurred to me when I first came to be in SL, that my RL "Mission Statement" was reflected in Caledonia.  What are my priorities in the world:
1. To Bring Joy
2. To Create Beauty
3. To connect people.

HOW TO BE SIRI

Laugh often
Be curious by nature and get involved in everything
Dance joyfully
Enjoy long talks about meaningfull issues or nothing all all
do Tai Chi by the sea
Get inspired by others
Try to find solutions and work toward them
Be committed to peace and social justice but try and find the fun along the way.

How to be LV

Innovative and creative
Viral in pursuits.
Ideas become her,
Dressed in purple
Chasing dreams

Caring and supportive,
She pays it forward generously, and
Joyously catches the serendipity that enfolds SL
Informing our relationships.

LoriVonne Lustre

How to be Cyndi Uriza

Be here to learn and help others learn.
Be excited about each new discovery and Always seeking a new surprise.
Always building a personal learning network and trying to offer something to the learning of others.
Excited to try new challenges, especially those that involve creating something.
Even more excited if that something new is a learning object or environment that others can enjoy as well.
Enjoy a well-told story.
Listen to many different kinds of music in many different venues.
Dance like crazy at the drop of a hat
and most of all, always keep it fun.
Be the change you want to see in the world.

DANG!  They hit it right out of the ballpark!

I am both impressed and humbled by what they produced.  Clearly these avatars "get" and embrace the point I was trying to make: given the almost unlimited possibilities for manifestation that exist in Second LIfe, isn't donning an avatar the perfect opportuntiy to express that essential spark of light in ourselves?  Thank you folks, for making my day ;-)

Tested!

Life tests us all in many ways, but discovering that you are HIV positive has to be one of the most daunting of them all.  The only thing worse is not knowing, which is why AIDS.gov and its partners are holding a series of events to encourage folks to know their status and get tested.

As part of the month-long effort, we will be hosting a Healing Quest on Karuna, the HIV/AIDS sim I oversee in Second Life.  Here is the announcement.  I'll hope to see you there!

A Quest for Healing: Promoting HIV testing in Second Life

 

On the island of Karuna* in the virtual world of Second Life, a small group of avatars is sitting on stumps around a crackling campfire.  Like most avatars, they are each exceptionally attractive. Buff bodies, voluptuous curves, and intricate tattoos abound. Clothing is decidedly stylish, and the only hairs out of place are calculated fashion statements.  What makes these avatars unique, however, is that they part of a small but growing number of people dealing with HIV/AIDS who have come to Second Life to explore and find sources of community and support.  Today's topic is HIV testing and the upcoming "Healing Quest" designed to encourage SL residents to learn their HIV status by getting tested.

 

"Healing Quests" are part of the ongoing efforts at Karuna to celebrate the lives of those dealing with HIV/AIDS.  Participants in the quests embark on journeys of self-discovery designed to help them tell stories.  They are asked to do everything from practice Tai Chi, sit on mountaintops, and roleplay, to ferret out clues and take photographs. 

 

This month's quest is entitled "TESTED," and is being held in collaboration with AIDS.gov and its partners as part of the events surrounding HIV Testing day on June 27th.  TESTED will begin at midnight on Thursday, June 4th and continue through midnight on Thursday, June 25th.  Each Thursday a new clue that asks participants to consider some aspect of how life “tests” us all will be posted on both Karuna and Storybook Island.

 

Those who complete all four parts of the Quest can submit the results to the story competition being held as part of the event.  Winners will be announced and an awards ceremony held in the early part of July.  All participants will have the option of having their stories shared in Karuna's Garden of Experience and the Poetry/Story Garden and Gallery on Storybook.

 

To get to Karuna: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Karuna/60/106/26

To get to Storybook: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Storybook%20Island/129/70/25

 

For more information, please contact Jenaia Morane inworld or at Jenaia@karunahiv.com.

 

*Karuna is a word from Pali, and ancient language of India, and means to ease suffering.