Welcome to Your Second Life

Today's Topic: An Alternate Reality

People always feel like they fall short in their life. At some point, we might fail on what we set out to do. The Internet and user based programs

changed that. A man named Philip Linden and Linden Lab made it possible to have a do-over. A second chance. A second life.

Even though it doesn't fall under the traditional definition as "real," Second Life is an escape for people who are unsatisfied with their first life (or the one they were born into). Ever wanted to own a house by the water? Done. Ever wanted to have your dream car for a small amount of real dollars? Done. Ever wanted your dream body, your dream life and the ability to FLY? Yep, you guessed it, it's a done deal. All you have to do is spend your own money earned in the actual world and then spend it on Linden Dollars in Second Life, your number one destination for everything that is just your creative imagination. And the good news? Your basic membership is free.

Granted, I don't know what's more upsetting; the fact that you can have your dream life for a small amount of actual dollars or the fact that Philip Linden is making money off a currency and an alternate universe that he invented. Your initial start up is free (which is what I have) but for just $72 a year, you can take the form of a human, an animal, a vegetable, a mineral or a combination of all four. If you do sign up, you get a weekly income of L$300 (300 Linden dollars) to spend any way you want. Build a house for instance, or a restaurant where people come to eat pretend food. Buy some land or sell and trade pretend goods. The possibilities are truly endless.

I think the greatest thing Second Life offers is absolute control. You have control over everything in your own virtual world. You are put in the driver's seat and are able to customize everything about your life. It's very similar to James Cameron's "Avatar" concept where you plug into a virtual world. Except, with Second Life, you don't actually plug in. It's on a screen in front of you and unlike the real world, if you don't like what's happening in your life, you can just click on the Exit button and unplug yourself from your virtual world. Everything about your character is customizable. All of your body features and your clothing (or lack thereof) can be determined. And of course, you interact with everyone in the Second Life just like you would through a chat room. People from all over the world gather in the Second Life world and interact with each other through avatars. You can make all the human gestures you would in normal life and even get a bit "naughty" depending on where you go in the virtual world.

My name is Harold Kumaki. Again, you pick your own name. I'm bald, about 250 lbs, all muscle, with a handle bar

moustache. I wear a white shirt and pair of jeans with flip-flops on all the time. This is my attire every day, and it's how I fly around the world. No, this is not how I want to look in "real" life. I just thought what the hell, let's be completely different from who I am in my real life. I was absolutely floored by the concept of Second Life and the ability to have total freedom from everything. I could walk up to someone in Second Life, wave to them, and dance in front of them with my shirt off. I do it just because I can. Not that I have any desire to do that ANY day of my actual life, but just because I can. Why not? It's anonymous as you make it and it's free.

Now before you close the door on Second Life and think what is the point to all this, it isn't just all fun and games. Oh yes, there are ways to make money. By trading virtual goods and selling land, you can make actual dollars. If you collect enough Linden Dollars (or L$) you can turn that into real $. Buy and sell the right pieces of land or the right pretend commodities and you could make a profit just by spending some time in your alternate reality. Have nothing else better to do? Maybe this could be an option.

Second Life is a genius concept; taking a problem (people who are unhappy with their real life) and creating a solution (making it possible for someone to create the person, animal or vegetable they always wanted to be). When we are born into this world, you don't have the ability or choice to change your looks or who you are without spending money or having the change be permanent. We cannot modify who we are without some sort of repercussion. But with Second Life, you create whoever you want to be. Have a new hairstyle everyday, change your clothes or simply walk around naked, fly to someones house and just hang out. Drink and eat whatever you want. Be fat or skinny with just a click of the mouse. Didn't you ever want life to be THAT easy?

So maybe, Google it, make an account and log on. You'll be amazed at the freedom you have. I'm not supporting everything about this alternate reality (spending my hard earned money is a little too far for me because I have no desire to own "pretend land"). I'm just saying I support the concept and the idea. With so many people being so unhappy with who they are, you might just feel better about yourself if you could be someone or something else. And I think the 18 Million users of Second Life would agree with me. Maybe you could even have your own happily ever after.