Turn The Other Cheek

Second Life released three limited issue names for Residents to purchase, if they choose to, this weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day. The names were Mama, Mum and Matriarch. Boy, did those names press the buttons of some people whose Mama, Mum or Matriarch had never told them to not speak if they had nothing nice to say.

I don’t much like the names as a surname for me so I won’t be purchasing them. Here’s the radical thing I did…. I said NOTHING. I moved on with my life, SL and RL and never thought about it again until writing this post. The names aren’t for me but they are for some…at least one person on my friends list has purchased one of them… but, not me this time so I don’t have to think about them or have any other opinion on them.

Second Life, or rather the social media surrounding Second Life, is awash with people with unnecessary opinions who feel the need to share them…whether they were asked or not. The post where Linden Lab announced the names is full of comments from people, some of whom seem visibly angry about these names that no one is forcing them to use…or buy….or care about. If something isn’t for you, or to your taste then that’s ok, move along….forget about it. It doesn’t make the thing/item/name bad, it’s just not for you. Chill the f*ck out and move on.

The lengths people will go to to share their disdain for something is beyond me…I mean really. Would you walk into a store in real life, find a dress you hated on a hanger and go tell the store owner “This is awful. I don’t like it!”. I don’t think you’d be in their store very long if you did, and. what would be the purpose? Go look for things you do like. Surround yourself with positive people and things that bring you joy. Maybe then, next time someone posts something that is not to your taste, you will be a little more zen about it and not feel a deep desire to hurt someone else with your negative comments.