NEW YEAR - NEW YOU

Compe Lockwood

Can you believe 2023 is upon us? Seems like from Halloween through Christmas, life is a blur. And then – boom! Happy New Year! Perhaps Michael Altshuler said it best: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is, you’re the pilot.” The same holds true in our virtual world.

For those who work, play, and live in Second Life on a regular basis, you are the pilot. You have control to make Second Life what you want it to be. Successful people know this.

Take these for example: prominent citizens of the metaverse sharing their plans and 2023 New Year’s resolutions.

ANNIE MELSON

The owner of Just Because, SL’s passion for fashion, store of renown, Annie Melson’s reputation for quality is well established. But she notes what everyone else should: “there is room for improvement in the new year. I always resolve to show love and kindness to everyone I meet in SL (RL, too).”

Annie continues, “And I always hope to accomplish, improve my work, and learn something new— a new technique, program, or way of working. You never know what life has in store though, so I will flex and flow with whatever life throws me and accomplish as much as I hope to!”

AMANDAT TAMATZUI

We met Amanda in her namesake showcase, Amanda T Tamatzui Art Gallery. She is the artist, curator, and more. Time is of the essence, but she makes time for those who matter. Her New Year’s goals are two-fold:

“I will take more time keeping friendships alive,” she says. “New friendships offer a chance to grow. We never know if we have stumbled on a gem of a friend unless we spend time talking.”

Her second resolution: “I will grow my Art business in both worlds and align myself with the right people to achieve this goal. Why? So I can have more free time to enjoy lives in both worlds!

If my business is good, I won’t have to spend it in a job. This is a great enough reason for me to invest my focus, thoughts, and time into what I love doing: creating art.”

LETZGO PARKIN (LETZ).

Letz has been an SL DJ almost as long as SL has been SL. But as they say in midnight TV infocommercials— “But wait, there’s more.” Lots more.

An SL resident of 14-plus years, he has spent much of that time accumulating music. Huge files of playable tunes. In music, Letz has enough streams to float the Queen Mary.

Country, Rock, Big Band, Symphony, and “where on earth did you get that?” are but some of his genres.

He has owned clubs, worked other clubs, and assisted people who started clubs. Letz plays parties, and at times, he is the party.

“My New Year’s resolution as a DJ is to engage the crowd more and try to improve the quality of my musical content,” he says about 2023. He adds with a smile, “I will also try to be less strict with my hostesses.”

XTERN

Another man of music is Xtern (xtern01), owner NY NY Piano Lounge. The soul-soothing destination started as a small intimate place to be. Today it has 50 venues.

But New York’s professional musician in both worlds does not rest on his laurels. “My resolutions for SL 2023 are simple,” he says. “I will continue to create and build unique venues for all to enjoy without fear or trepidation.” Another 2023 goal of Xtern’s is “to maintain the welcome and safe haven for everyone who travels my SL journey with me.”

AMANDA DENCH

The owner of Dench Designs offers furnishings for home, office, and just about everywhere else. Amanda’s New Year Resolutions apply to most of us: “Reduce my inventory!” She says. “It now

Her second 2023 goal: “Make my work place a lot tidier.” She smiles. “As you probably can tell I am very disorganized.” Who among us can say different?

And now it is your turn. What are your SL New Year’s Resolutions for 2023? Here are suggestions:

For heaven’s sake, upgrade your avatar. You know who you are, the one who joined SL 15 years ago with the Sears and Roebuck shirt, plastic hair, and shoes once worn by Methuselah. Yet you still wear it! For the name of all that is decent, stop it! You’re hurting our eyes!

Let 2023 be the year of a new you. Work on your appearance. For we are citizens of Second life. We are not block head people, killing cyber goats with axes in Minecraft.

Try something new— a new club, organization, school. Learn to script and/or build. SL skills pay dividends. Even those with ugly avatars no one wants to be around can benefit. With the right skills, you can build a friend.

Finally, and this is important, learn about people. Listen to them, especially those from other countries. Second Life offers amazing opportunities to meet folks from across the planet. The more we understand each other in the second world, the better we can understand each other in the real one. There has never been a more critical time for understanding each other.

Let that understanding start with us, friends, domestic and international, united by Second Life.

And most of all, Have a

Happy New Year!.