Why do we Relay in SL?

Some of the discussion I love talking about, well besides why they Relay, and why Relay in Second Life, is why Second Life in the first place? Why do we love this world?

I've been here in various forms since the spring of '07, and at the time I was 46, single, and living in small summer tourist town, so the winters were long and boring with all the weather. So falling upon Second Life was a blessing for me. Since those days, I've explored this world, and I admired the creativeness of this place. All the way from the sims and clothing, I loved the way you can express yourself in your avatar shape and species.

And I admired the community builders of this world, the people that bring people together. From about '08 I've always hosted at clubs, I just love creating fun.

Just under 3 years ago I found this small semi private club and I fell in love with, all because of the owner. She built this with a foundation of providing a safe place for it members, whom were all child avatars, whom all understood the Term of Service for Second Life.

Along the way, in the beginning I didn't realized I was also explored myself. When I first landed in Second Life, I quickly made my way though all the perverse places and found that rather shallow and self serving and role playing just wasn't my thing.

But I did met a few interesting souls that set my course in new directions, and I have never looked back. My course were those places were helping people was part of their philosophy. That's when I was hooked on Second Life. And that's when I began exploring me.

Was about this time, I met someone that was a male in a female avatar and openly admitted it, and that really peeked my interest. After many amazing discussion I set on and new exploration. I've been a little boy, a little girl, when through the teen years, when to high school even.

Having gone though a second child hood in both sexes, Then I grew up, again, and began exploring my sexuality. I'll be honest, sometimes I did tell my partners, sometimes I did. And yes, in all forms, straight, bi and crossed. Human and non human too just for good measure but it was always me and going on in my life within context of who my avatar was at the time.

2009 I got laid off from my career as a mechanical designer, designing automation equipment for the automotive industry and returned to school for a quick upgrade on my IT skills I developed as a designer. But I wasn't having a good time of it and knew I needed a change.

SO I dove into the one place I knew I could find the answer, Second Life

In the fall of 2010 I created a female avatar, but was pretty much done with my sexual exploration and began my exploration of what really was my passion of life which bring me to the club I've been hosting these last 3 years.

It had several factor I already knew I loved about myself. I was a place that first provided a safe environment. A place that I could plan, create and organize, which are other skills I enjoy using. And the membership were all long term 2nd lifers who knew who they were, and that was important to me. So openly shared their real life with each other, some never left their character, and we all respect that in each other. So were child, some teens, and even a few adults, but we all respected the our collective moral and ethical values. The other major love of the club was it was half Euro people and half Americans and that was awesome. I just LOVE the international aspect of Second Life!!!

My very first friend I met with this avatar was in her last days of Inflammatory Breast Cancer and was the most amazing death I ever witnessed. She planned it all out in both worlds, arranged to have her young daughter come in world, for her life's celebrations to her friends in Second Life were she wrote the most amazing / profound piece I ever hear from such a young soul. That change me forever. (reaches for tissue again)

In the month before her final days, I ask my members of my club, to send her their prayers and well wishes to my friend, and was approached my approached by a club member and told me she is a 21 year old Leukemia Survivor and is still in the trenches today. She's amazing. I love her like my own daughter. That's one thing I never expected to find here. When my friend died, I took up her cause and began spreading the word about Inflammatory Breast Cancer and in so doing found more places doing the same for they cause and I was truly reborn in both 1st and 2nd lives.

And that when I found Relay in Second Life,
and through Relay I found who I am,
and what I really like to do
and I am working on both sides of the keyboard doing that very thing.
and Bain was born,
and born to Relay.

But I'll get more into that in another post. For now I would like to conclude this with, in my exploration of life with 2nd lifers, I discovered that these are some of the common reason many people of Second Life love this place I think.

It gives people with limitations of life, be it because they live in place where they have of extend community who think like they do. Or people that are on the moved. Or people that just have that creative need. I could go on, but you wrap that with peoples want to Relay, and I think there you have one of the common reason RFLofSL is so well loved as well, because no matter where you are, you CAN RELAY!

I hope you enjoyed my little journey back to my past and back again.

Bain Finch

And so it begins,...

Well, well, well. 

We are well into the new year, and that means, the new season for "Relay For Life of Second Life" will be kicking off. How cool is that?! As you know, this season's theme is "Time For A Cure". Which in a place like Second Life, a theme like that, is a license to go "nuts" for the creative's minds for the season's events and builds. Or at least that's what I hear from some of the teams. Guess "Time" will tell, all in due "Time"....

Dates are firmed up. Team registration open February 15th, and thanks to a whole bunch of talented minds, have done a sweet re-design of the RFLofSL team site which should be going online soon. I'll update you on that, when it is. But what I've seen of it, it's going a great help to meet the people in Relay For Life of Second Life, read why they Relay, follow the teams and events, all during the season and so much more. SO a big warm "THANK YOU" to everyone involved, on that project!

Many of the committees are looking for volunteers, in all sorts of capacities. From committee members, builders, scripter's, event performers, DJs, musicians, hosts, mentoring, sponsors, machinima, and, and, and.... For more information, join the "Relay For Life Volunteers" group in Second Life, check past notices, or, just open an IM and say "I want to volunteer", I am sure, you'll be scooped up in seconds. The same can be said for all the teams, established ones and new ones. So keep an eye out for notices in the "Relay For Life Volunteers" group. 

I know doing the Off Season Coordinator roll, I meet and talked to several people wanting to start a team. So I hooked them up with our very awesome PrettyKitty Gumbo, whom is heading up the "Teams Committee". But through that roll, and last years experience, and the lead up to this season, in discussion with all the wonderful people I have meet along the way, the one many things we talks about, is "why". 

Three letters that form one of the most profound words in the English language. As a child one of the simplest question to discovery. As a human, sometimes, one of the hardest, to find answers for.

I know for myself, I am super thrilled to be here. Ever since I found Relay last year, my whole real life has changed. My goals have changed. Well, that's not completely correct. I do have a goal to start a small business serving small business, that hasn't changed. What has changed, is the "how", and that's because of Relay. So yours truly, last September at the age of 50, enrolled into a 2 year college program for Advertising, and I am having a blast. I get to use all the best parts of the skills sets and work environments, I enjoyed the most from my previous careers, and I get to use them for something I enjoy doing. 

Last year, I read so many "Why I Relay" statements, postings, commemorative and luminary, wrote several myself I never posted, because I could find mine, I just knew I found myself though relay. And I DO LOVE to Relay. 

Maybe that's it I guess,...   "I Relay, for the love of Relay".

Bain Finch

Co-Chair, PR & Media Relations

Poor Barbie

I’m so dumbfounded on this whole thing going on these past few weeks I shake my head in disbelief.

A Beautiful idea, whose goal was to heal and promote cancer awareness, has turned dark and political, with opponents on all sides, all because of a few ill chosen words, and a poor doll stuck in the middle.

In the Beautiful and Bald Barbie camp, who would love nothing more to see a Beautiful and Bald Barbie, has defined their desires to represent all childhood baldness causes and not exclusive to cancer. I would love to see this happen for personal reasons.

Mattel with their corporate and marketing directors I’m sure only work with defined, qualified and quantified parameters, only based decisions on a broad segments of market data, bla, bla, bla, which the Beautiful and Bald Barbie camp represent a niche group, may or may not represent the whole potential market. I understand this point of view, Mattel would risk much in money and reputation.

Now the ACS has placed their marker on the field and stoked the flames with their views and few ill chosen words. Unfortunately, child hood cancer is a small portion of all the cancer types and cancer rates, etc,… just tugs on our heart strings the most, well at least for me, but to say what they did, how, and at this particular time, tisk, tisk.

And I keep falling on my original thought, when I first saw this: “Wow, wouldn’t be fantastic if the Mattel Corporation through their philanthropy commitment, would work a deal with the Relay For Life to distribute these Beautiful and Bald Barbie as a fundraising channel for the RFL, help promote cancer awareness, promote Mattel as a major contributor to RFL, raise brand awareness for both, and most importantly of all, comfort those that need comforting, the kids and parent with cancer.”

And look what we have at the moment?!?!

I shake my head in disbelief,

Bain Finch

(These are my views and opinions, and not those of any one or any entity mentioned in this post.)