I’m not feeling festive at all, to be honest. It just doesn’t feel that special this year – perhaps I’m getting old.
Maybe it’s because I live a life in which I don’t really listen to the radio or watch much television. Where all my news is read online, and pretty much all my shopping is from online merchants.
Is the reliance on the internet killing the Christmas Spirit? I don’t have much reason to go out to town anymore other than to just touch and play with gadgets and appliances, and then come back home to buy them online. There’s little in the way of excitement and joy when it all seems all so.. automated.
I looked at the fashion feed the other day and saw lots of Christmas dresses, but yet I still didn’t feel festive within Second Life. The commercialisation of the season seems to be making it less special – there’s no buzz. There’s no aspect of fantasy, or the feeling of something new and unique.
But then I started working on making presents. And I realised that it’s the power of making something specifically for someone else which injected back the spirit of Christmas to me. The thought, care and motivation to create an object to convey your love, affection and care for a friend or loved one is what made me realise the true meaning of this time of year.
I’ve made hundreds of new friends this year in Second Life, and along with those from the year previous, they’re all people I’m proud to call friends. Although I won’t be able to make individual gifts for them all, I treasure each and every one as they’ve all bought a little happiness into my life.
It doesn’t stop at happiness though – I’ve learnt much from friends, and they’ve shaped who I am. Although I’ll probably never meet most in my lifetime, they’ll have touched me in deep ways – through inspiration, motivation, knowledge, trust and love.
So this Christmas, I’ll be thankful for all the people who made me, me. Chances are that if you’re reading this, you are one of those people.
Family isn’t just the people you share blood with. It’s anyone you hold dear to you. I love you all, and I wish you and yours the happiest of Christmases.
Bailey Longcloth on December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas to you too Prad. You’ve given me so much over the past year it is near impossible to thank you enough for all of it. I’ll simply say thank you for being you and for being my friend. You mean the world to me. Love you much. <3
Muah!
SySy on December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas Prad! I just get to know you via plurk, but i’m so enjoying your blog posts and your crazy plurks
You bring a smile to my face everyday. Muah!
Aribeth Coronet on December 25, 2008
What BL said. Thank you for just being you, and for always being able to guide me, teach me and to be that shoulder to cry on when I need it. And you’re just as special to me in RL too, I feel lucky to have met you in person <3
I hope you have a fantastic Christmas, and an even better New Year. I have a feeling this coming year will bring even greater things to you, in both worlds.
Love you lots and lots and lots and lots,
Ari xxx
Clio on December 25, 2008
I see my dearest SL friend nearly every day… we speak every time we can both be online and I feel so weird and lonely if I cannot get online to have my habitual chat with him at night…
This morning I came online to a present he got me for Christmas in SL, and in one single minute all my tiredness for running around like crazy RL, all my nerves against the train company (totally unreliable), all the bad thoughts about the 5000 things to do in the next 12 hours… they were all gone.
He made my day brighter with a pixelated set of jewelry, that I will never even touch in RL, but that has meant a world to me.
The internet can be a dangerous tool, it does take away your life in some way… but when we think that the friends we made are real people, and that the net gave us the chance to meet them, where it would have been impossible otherwise… well, it means we can’t blame it too much:)
Lots of hugs to all the plurkers, SLers… and friends
Landsend Korobase on December 25, 2008
Second Life gave me Christmas and made me understand it in a way I never had before. In many significant ways, this Christmas was my first. One almost universal day to focus on showing my friends how much they mean to me, and to spend with my RL family, what a lovely idea.
Hope your Christmas remains perked up and you end up having a wonderful time hon.
And, as always, thank you, for the gift of having you as part of my second life. Your friendship is the most precious thing you could give me and it’s never taken for granted.
OK, enough sop, I have a certain huge amount of choccy that requires consumption ^^
Moggs Oceanlane on December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Giftmas, Happy Just-Another-Day – whatever… whichever one it is though and regardless of day and date, I hope you all spend it in great company, or in peaceful solitude and doing something you love.
Christmas to me is always about the people – never about the hype. This year, it’s just another day as my [immediate] family will all be getting together in April, so we’re going to do it then. I’d happily call it a family get together but my Mum wants to call it Christmas in April, so I’m willing to go along with it.
Some of my friends really only actively show appreciation for their family at Christmas and on Birthdays and often this appreciation is deomonstrated through gifts, so to them, Christmas holds more importance. I’m a spoiled brat, I have a great family and we’ll happily tell each other we love one another just because it’s Monday – and we will give each other random gifts just because we feel like it… and many of my/our friends are the same. I enjoy giving randomly because it’s clear I want to and that I’m not just doing it because I feel obligated.
*Shrugs*
I too have made many friends in Second Life – I don’t see them as being “just” second life friends, I see them as being friends and would be happy to meet the people I consider to be friends in real life. I continually am awed at the creativity, talent and intelligence of people in second life and am proud to call the diverse bunch of people that I’ve come to know over the last year and a bit friends.
Thanks for another great blog, Praddles – and for sharing your perpective on “stuff” yet again
Moggs Oceanlane on December 25, 2008
PS: Please ignore all of my typos… it’s Christmas!! *laughs*
Holly Klaxon on December 25, 2008
For someone who wasn’t feeling very Christmasy, you managed to make this the best Christmas ever. I can’t describe why it’s the best Christmas here, and not only because it’s your public blog
but because there are no words in the English language to express just how deeply you touched me.
No other man is as funny, as talented, as sweet, as charming, as hot, as witty, as passionate, as brilliant, as good-hearted… in a word, as perfect, as you are. And I’m definitely the luckiest girl on the grid to have you.
Merry Christmas, baby. I love you.
Ana Lutetia on December 26, 2008
*hugs*
Eolande Elvehjem on December 28, 2008
I’m glad you found your Christmas this year Prad. *hugs*