I Found My SLife
In November 2004, I first presented with symptoms that ten months later would be diagnosed as Meniere’s Disease. As the illness progressed and I became unable to do the things I used to enjoy such as dancing, hiking and swimming, I found myself slipping away. After my knee injury over a decade ago, I went through a deep depression and knew I didn’t not want to go back there. Since I could no longer do the things I used to do to relieve stress, I knew it was very possible for me to slip into another depression. I was not going to allow this to happen again.
In February 2007, I was at home watching the Law & Order: SVU episode where they were looking for a person who was involved in a virtual reality world called “Another Universe”. This gave me an idea. I found that Another Universe is fictitious, however there is another virtual reality world that was alive and well called Second Life (later in 2007 Second Life (SL) would be depicted on CSI). I had my laptop at work and created an avatar and entered the world. Due to not having internet at home at the time and issues with my laptop I did not make it off Orientation Island. I put SL aside and went on with my life. In the midst of Meniere’s I dealt with the death of my father and a treatment that took away my immune system and left me fighting colds and infections.
October 2007 I watched the CSI episode involving SL and was reminded of my failed attempt at entering that world. I couldn’t recall my avatar’s name and password. So I created a new avatar and called her Parker Janick (Parky). I made it into SL this time and began exploring. I would spend my free time at work in SL (I worked nights at a television station and was all alone there) During my exploration I was clicking things and not knowing what I was doing things would happen. One time I clicked something and received a blue box and clicked yes. I then went to change a tape and when I returned, my avatar was dancing. I sat there and cried for about five minutes. I could no longer dance in Real Life (RL), but I could dance in SL.
I continued to explore and ultimately got internet at home where I could explore more. I made friends, learned how to swim and do many other things in SL. I finally found my life again. Along my journey I began meeting other people with chronic illness and issues. There are those who are bed ridden and others who are in wheelchairs. I have even met three others in SL who have Meniere’s Disease. It helped at one point when I begin attending a support group in SL for people with chronic illnesses and/or their caretakers. One thing was certain, we all came into SL for the same reason, to do things that we could no longer do in RL.
I can’t do much in RL that I used to do, but in SL I am thriving. I own a Celtic Pub where everyone is welcome (as long as they obey the rules) and I host twice a week at a friends jazz and blues club. I am involved with writing groups and even attend a Writer’s Circle once a week where I read some of my own work. I recently submitted a poem for a contest in SL and won first place. I even wrote a short story called The Damsel And The Dragon about why I am in SL and it was published in a SL magazine.
I highly recommend SL to those with Meniere’s Disease or any chronic illness that keeps you from doing the things you love to do. You can do those things again by using an avatar in SL. Use this link http://secondlife.com/. to find your life again, even if it is virtual. I would still much rather be dancing, hiking and swimming in RL, but for now I will do these things in SL and keep my mind active while meeting new people from around the world and making friends (gaining contacts) in the process. Don’t let your illness deprive you of your life.
A shot I staged to go with my short story The Damsel And The Dragon
Me dancing with some friends at my pub