Okay I confess that the horrible screams and abusive images that poured over and around us on June 27th (Helen Keller Day) were very disturbing. I'd never been in a griefing incident as intense as that one, and the tension it created, not to mention the crashes and sim malfunctions, were palpable. Folks were upset, and I didn't blame them. It's hard to understand why anyone would want to try to disrupt or make a mockery of an event celebrating the arrival of a virtual guide dog in Second Life, but there was no denying what was happening.
My own presentation about the Vision Quest did not go over well. In fact, it could be argued that it didn't go at all. I crashed three times, folks were so busy discussing the griefing in voice that they talked right over me, and my poor transcriptionist could barely see to copy text into chat. I left the stage feeling more than a little disappointed. I had prepared a presentaion I felt was both entertaining and thought provoking. I was eager to share my ideas and get feedback. The fact that a griefer prevented me from doing either left me cranky and discouraged.
A few hours later, however, it occurred to me that it might be possible to give my talk again. I contacted the organizers and Pathfinder Linden, all of whom not only supported my idea but gave me space and prims to set up my own presentation area. Woo hoo! I was happy.
Anyone who has attended one of my storytellings knows that I have a thing about nature and like to park myself and my listeners on stumps and surround us with trees, water, and lots of green. I got all four and then some at the place I was given. Set on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by ocean, the presentation circle was ringed with pines and gnarled oak trees from which leaves drifted lazily in the breeze. A cobblestone path led from the landing site beneath two arching trees and into the semi-circle of stumps set in front of the slide viewer. My own stump, a simple two prim affair I take with me everywhere, allowed me to face and feel part of the ring of listeners around me.
This time, the story went off without a hitch. It was one of those magical times when you can feel your audience leaning in close and your own voice warms with the fun of sharing a story that gives you pleasure. I began by talking about my goals for Questing - to help individuals embark on journeys of self discovery and in doing so find the Narrative Threads™ that link us all - and moved on to Vision Quests and animal guides. By the time I got to Max and the Second Life Vision Quest, we were talking about how the relationship between a blind person and his or her guide dog is one of the closest possible. Blind people routinely refer to their dogs as their soul mates, best friends, and mind readers.
My point was that we all long for this kind of relationship - for the intimacy, trust, responsibility, mutal respect and love that are inherent in interdependency. The goal of the Vision Quest as I set it up was three-fold:
1) Help participants to shift their perspectives and see and experience the world a little differently, either as a blind person or from the viewpoint of a guide dog
2) Help participants understand and experience how relationships are forged between a blind person and a guide dog.
3) Help each person go within, examine his or her responses to the activities in the Quest and then learn to express those responses as a story.
Finally, I left everyone with a challenge: "Take the Quest. See what it's like to be a blind person or a guide dog. Explore interdependency, vulnerability, trust - then come back to share your story with us. Help us celebrate the Narrative Threads™ that allow us to share and weave our lives together, forge community, and make sense of our lives."
That is the same challenge I would like to leave all my readers with. If you haven't yet explored the Vision Quest, I hope you will find the time to do so. It will be at its current location through Friday and then will move to its permanent home on Story Quest Island. If you'd like an LM, just IM me inworld or drop me an email.
I look forward to reading your stories!
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