Editorial: Staying Off Social Media and the News Media for the Next Little While as a Self-Care Activity

In the inevitable hand-wringing political thread over on the official Second Life community forums, I wrote:

I have decided that this is the perfect time to stay off all social media and all news media for a few days, BREATHE, and focus on cleaning through Vanity Fair’s overstuffed inventory. So far I have thrown out about 30,000 items. 

On top of everything else, my location has just enacted an emergency, code-red coronavirus pandemic lockdown. I believe the ancient Chinese curse goes something along the lines of “may you live in interesting times”. I am awaiting the locusts.

As a Canadian, I have absolutely ZERO control over that happens in the three-ring circus currently taking place south of the border, and frankly, checking my social media and news media regularly to see what’s going on is doing nothing but increasing my anxiety and triggering my despair and depression. Enough.

So I continue with my task of cleaning up Vanity’s oldest inventory items, all the while coming across such lovely vintage items as this beautiful system-layers-and-flexiprims outfit by Fancy Fairy, which I had completely forgotten I owned:

Faerie Queen Valentine Outfit from Fancy Fairy (includes the wings):
still holding up very well after more than a decade!

The Fancy Fairy store has since left the Second Life grid, but you can still browse through all the lovely merchandise available in their SL Marketplace store. Remember, there’s still a place for older, high-quality system-layer-and-flexiprim apparel in your Second Life wardrobe, with the added benefit that they are often reduced in price! For example, you can pick up a very similar fairy outfit for only L$100.

Stay strong, stay healthy, and stay sane in these trying times! May you find escape, solace, and flow pursuing the hobbies and pastimes which make you happy, and visiting with friends in your preferred social VR platform or virtual world. It’s not wrong to take time for yourself to safe-guard your mental health in these crazy-making times.