Sometimes I go on music posting binges on my social media.  I’ll sweep in with a string of YouTube videos and post songs I love, or things that I like and just hadn’t heard in a while, or things I think people should hear. Sometimes people interact, usually I suspect they scroll past and go about their day. For the most part no one seems to notice, a few might like a post, but in general I feel like the meme with the little otter holding his tiny guitar: when you show your friends something you love and they just say ‘cool’ and change the subject.

Usually it’s when I am feeling depressed or lonely, and I’m attempting to reach out to others and find some common bond that I start spamming my socials with songs. November, December, and January have been rough months for me personally for the past few years since I lost my husband, and 2020 did nothing to help the feeling of isolation and loneliness that hits this time of year, so I suspect my music binge was right on schedule. 

It’s not quite as easy to do this in Second Life, so instead of shouting my music suggestions to the world I just quietly fill my profile with lyrics and references, and take pics of musical things. Or, as I did back in 2008, build a model of the college radio station studio where I worked and made some of my best friends. Then, as now, music was one of the primary ways I found to bond with others.

Even though my little studio is very dated and incredibly primmy, I still like to rez it when I have the land available, sit my avatars in the studio, and surround myself with music.

And then, of course, I have to share it. 

♫

What can I say about 2020?  It started me off with with some costly home maintenance issues, added in car repairs, and just as that was getting itself resolved, tossed in a virus and closed the world down. I learned things about other people and their viewpoints that I would never have expected, and I realized I’m not as big of a hermit as I’d always thought because I missed being able to go out and just sit quietly in a bookstore reading or people watching.

Still, this past year was not a total dumpster fire, there were many good moments.  I found a lot of ways to enjoy myself without needing to go out. I spent more time listening to music and discovered new artists to obsess over, I worked on my Minecraft building skills, and I managed to follow a much healthier eating plan and drop quite a bit of weight that had been aggravating my back. (We won’t discuss what the holidays have done to that eating plan…)

I also spent time rediscovering how much I love taking photos, both in Second Life and IRL. I realized I had let my creativity fall by the wayside because I saw so many other people doing the things I loved to do, but doing it so much better than me, that I decided I probably shouldn’t do the things. I still haven’t fully managed to knock the idea out of my head that just because someone else is good at photography (or drawing, or crafts) it doesn’t mean that I should throw in the towel, because there’s not a quota for how many people are allowed to do art. Kind of a hard belief to shake, it’s lived in my head for a few decades now, but I’m working on it.

So here we are, in 2021.  I don’t usually make New Year resolutions, but I will try to make this my year to do the creative things. Write more. Do more art. Make the things.

Happy New Year, friends.  May you have success with whatever resolutions you make, and may this year bring us love, joy, laughter, and healing.

♥

And all through the blog, not a creature was stirring. Not even the dog… (Possibly because he’s static mesh, but you know, details…)

As part of my easing back into this bloggy thing, I thought I’d leave a little Christmas greeting.  This year Christmas in RL is as quiet as quiet can be, as not only should we all be cautious about travel, but also I had a potential exposure to our friend the virus. While I’m fine I still have 3 days to go on the self quarantine thing. Yay 2020, I hate to see you go…

So today I’ll celebrate a virtual Christmas eve, and send out my wishes to everyone for a wonderful holiday.  May all of you have an extra special Christmas dream come true.