Falling in SLove

Ahhh that wonderful thing called Love. When I first got here, a friend took me exploring and later on revealed that he was heartbroken at a marriage that had ended. He'd caught "that bitch fucking a bunch of goths in their bedroom".

I was horrified. And when I found out that all of this had happened in SL, I was amazed. How could anyone form such an emotional attachment to an avatar? I was sceptical, and admittedly, judgmental.

Sure, I was there when chatrooms exploded, hurried home from dinner to make dates on ICQ....and yes, the friends on the other side were more that marching ASCII characters across a screen....but love? REAL love? Physical pain?

But now, after talking to so many people, watching the genuine warmth between two AVs in love, observing souls communicate... I get it.

My friend Fade clarified it for me - he said that when you have to emote your actions, describe what you're doing and what you're feeling, it becomes hyper-real.

It's the security that comes with knowing exactly how the other person feels and what their intentions are....then layering your own desires and fantasies over that. It's intoxicating. How often does that kind of connection happen in RL?

I'm not talking about cyber....that is, for me anyway, just creative copywriting. How many people in this world really have the ability to accurately type one-handed?

No, I'm talking about a genuine emotional bond. People who make you smile in the darkness. Curling up in sadness when they don't show up. Missing them and looking forward to the future.

I can't say that I've encountered full-blown OMG it's Love....I haven't felt the desire to say I love you. I haven't even really made love*.

But I have yearned. I've glimpsed that slash of technicolour when someone arrives next to me. I am aware of the torrent of emotions that threaten beneath the surface.

Do I understand now? Yes.

And when it comes to love, what's better? 2-dimensional passion in a 3d world.....or the other way around?

So here's to you, magnificent SLovers - may your unions virtually last a lifetime.

xLx

*Cyber doesn't count. OKAY???