By Becky Shamen
In the previous article, I wrote that Tempura
Island is, "one of my most valued LMs." To be more accurate,
I should say that it shares the number one rank with "The Forest."
In writing these articles, many old memories have been brought to light.
Piecing these together has not only aided in writing these stories,
it has revealed a hidden back story, that answers certain questions.
Why do I love these sims so much? Why does a person that has no interest
in meditation, in real life, place so much importance on it in SL? Have I been
hiding something important, from myself and others? I find that it is
impossible to continue extolling the virtues of these sims, without
first revealing a bit of my own history in SL.
It is no secret that one of my first jobs in
SL was as an exotic dancer. No doubt, at that time I was learning the
errors of allowing the purse to overrule the demands of the soul. One
night, as I danced on my pole, I met a man named Shanti Bright. He was
a photographer and lived in France. We became friends and set up a photo
shoot. When he opened a photo gallery, I was invited to the grand opening,
met many of his European friends and became an international celebrity.
I was invited to attend weekly group meditations, in the garden of one
of his lady friends. Before and after meditating, we conversed, mostly
in French and Spanish. This was a great delight for me, because my family
originally comes from France.
When the group hostess left SL, Shanti
and I began finding other locations to have group meditations. Other
members of the group were hit and miss, but Shanti and I continued to
meet every Sunday, at noon, for years, at the Forest sim. Initially,
we met at the central meditation area, which seats four. On weekdays,
I explored the rest of the sim and discovered several private meditation
spots. Eventually, we chose a wooded hill, on the Northwest corner of
the sim, as "our place." We knew each other's real life names,
shared our real photos and even spoke on Yahoo messenger, when he tried
to teach me Esperanto. And even though the technology does not yet exist,
I think we could even smell each other.
When Shanti moved, from his
country home to the, for him, big city of Clermont, he became progressively
involved in local business and government. The day came when he announced,
he would no longer come play in Second Life. I think you can see why
the Forest is more than just another sim to me. It is the place where
love grew.
Allow me now to tell you of the wonders you will
find, when you visit the Forest. On arrival, it may take a couple of
minutes for all the sights to rez, but your senses will already be treated
to the sounds of peaceful music and the abundant wild life. Everywhere
you go, you will meet animals of all kinds, roaming freely about the
sim. You can fly here, but the forest canopy is to thick to spot landmarks
from the air. It is much better to just walk around, in what ever direction
your eyes take you.
Regardless of what direction you go, there will
be something wonderful to find. There are fewer people here than on
Tempura, so the lag is also less to deal with. There is every kind of
tree and plant imaginable and they have a doorway to a shop where you
can buy them, for your own home or sim. If you see a harp, sit and play
it. I bought one there, for my house, and everybody that visits loves
to try it. There are a number of meditation spots, as well as Tai Chi
areas. There are also many romantic places for couples to sit and chat.
It's a great place to bring a friend or lover and make a good impression
on them. If you go solo, you will not feel alone. Anybody you meet here
is sure to be friendly and open to chatting and exploring with you.
The Forest is not static. The hills and vales stay the same, but the
trees, flowers and structures are often updated, an artwork in progress.
If the pressures in the real world or Second Life are wearing you down,
a visit to the Forest is like a return to the garden of Eden and will
heal your soul.
Sha
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