“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”  
―Helen Keller

Hello good people.  I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their start to Fall.  As for me, this month was a particularly difficult one, and it impacted my desire to do anything remotely creative.  And, when I tell you why, many of you will probably scratch your heads as to why I would let something like this affect me.  And honestly, I scratch my own head and wonder the same thing.  Ultimately, our little world in Second Life is comprised of just pixels so we should not theoretically grow sentimental attachments to objects inworld.  But, I learned that I do.

So, recently, my wanderlust took me to set up residence on a really beautiful community inworld that I have been eyeing for some time.  The particular lot that I fell in love with was sort of a hidden jewel… very wooded with a gorgeous stairway that led its way down to a private, secluded beach.  When I set my house upon it, it was one of those magical moments where I finally felt like I’d found home.  Don’t get me wrong… I have loved every where that I have lived inworld, but it was something about this particular place where it felt like a spiritual retreat in the craziness of SL.

Anywho, at the beginning of October (which was about a month into my living there), a former employee in the community came and griefed the place… destroying everything that she had previously built.  My lot happened to have a lot of her prims, so it was demolished… the only thing left standing was my home.  At first, I held on to the glimmer of hope that maybe it would be able to be recovered.  Then, when that was not going to happen, I tried to be optimistic that it would be rebuilt as before (even though sadly, I had only limited photographs of what it was like.)  However, at some point, reality sets in that things will not go back as before, and that’s when my grief began.

I will admit that I wallowed a bit.  I felt like I had been violated by this one simple act of vengeance from someone that I had never met, but whose work had inspired me to want to move to my lot in the first place.  For the longest, I was angry with this person because I couldn’t comprehend why one would want to destroy your their own legacy – something that others clearly enjoyed?  I guess that the individual was hoping to destroy the community as a whole.  But, what they ultimately failed to realize is that that common adversity usually brings out people’s true character.  And, the same is true in Second Life.  It brought me much closer to my neighbors, and I was fortunate enough to have someone special in my corner who truly helped me get through it with sanity intact.  The silver lining of this experience is that this past week, the owner and new builder rebuilt my lot into something magnificent. When I reminisce on the old build, I can think of it as this enchanted caterpillar that has now been transformed into a beautiful butterfly.  So, now I choose to look forward into the sunshine and not back at what once was.

And speaking of sunshine and other flower-child thoughts, the photo above features many exclusives that can be found at this year’s Boho Culture Fair, including this outfit from Ghee that I am wearing.  The fair goes on until November 2.  Your taxi is here – be sure to check it out!  Happy shopping ❤

CREDITS (For Eva Only)

Top: Ghee | Boho Suede Fringe Bra Top in Bottle (exclusively at the Boho Culture Fair)
Bottoms: Ghee | Flared Jeans in Foxy Lady (exclusively at the Boho Culture Fair)
Hair: Tukinowaguma |Berit 2 (exclusively at the Boho Culture Fair)
Watch and Bracelet: Gizza | Asia Watch & Bracelet in Cream
Ring: K’s | Boho Soul Ring
Hands: Slink | Avi Enhancement Hands in Casual
Body: Maitreya| Lara Mesh Body v. 3.3

Pose – Captivity Co. – Lustful Desires

Taken on location at Bella Pace