Before this post title gets anyone worked up: No, I’m not announcing that I’m leaving. So no, you can’t have my stuff, sorry.
I was wandering through Burning Life a bit today, realizing that Burning Life 2007 was the first LL-sponsored inworld event I really found intriguing. SL4B was a little over a month after I rezzed, and I remember attending a party there where I was required to wear pajamas. I bought some hideous, overpriced pajamas that I probably still have somewhere in inventory but have never worn again, and the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, SL Birthday celebrations are now linked in my mind with bad pajamas. But I digress.
That first Burning Life I attended, I remember thinking that one of the most magical things was the temple. Now, I don’t often enter houses of worship in real life, so what I was doing wandering into anything called a “temple” without fearing it would drop onto my head is beyond me. But inside, I found a place that you could leave a message. The message would then be displayed as hovertext above one of the votive lights in the temple, and at the end of Burning Life, all of the messages that are left during the event are read off as the temple is burned to the ground.
I suppose the reality of attending the burning of the temple — something I have never managed due to timing conflicts — is probably not nearly as mystical as the idea itself. I’ve seen videos of avatars dancing around with fire extinguishers in place of codpieces, so I am sure there are some issues with dignity involved. But the idea stays with me.
What we leave behind in a virtual world is different than what we can in a physical world. Here, we can procreate and “pass on our line.” But in a virtual world, whether it’s in the walled garden of Second Life or the wider one of the internet, what we leave behind is less tangible. Is it less meaningful? What mark are we leaving? What will they say about us when we have moved on to new frontiers?
These are the things I pondered this morning in this year’s build of the temple at Burning Life as I whispered a few words to be consigned to the particle flames when the event draws to a close.
Despite my recent cynicism about LL and Lab-sponsored events, there are some real gems among the builds this year. Crank up the fan on your video card and wander down to take a look if you get a chance.
