Tuesday, December 4, 2012

My Virtual Life

I have a life. I actually have two of them... there is my 'real' life and there is my 'virtual' life. In one I get up, make breakfast, go for a walk and - depending on what country I am in - speak in either English or Spanish to those I meet along the way.

In my virtual life I am on a 60-ft. sailboat in the Vendee Globe solo race passing the Cape of Good Hope, sailing under a spinnaker today and preparing for a heavy wind and seas as I approach the Indian Ocean. But, I am only one of over 392,792 virtual sailors doing this and have barely inched forward in the fleet.Virtual Regatta

For some folks I guess their two lives get blurred and they lose track of where they are. I hear about people who get too involved in a game and take it too seriously. My problem has probably been more the reverse; I used to get too involved in my real life and take it too seriously.

Life is a serious business, though. If you don't stay current with paying bills, the consequences are unpleasant. And if you don't have a way to bring in income to pay those bills, then it is no laughing matter and not a game of any kind. Some time ago I joined up with a virtual company and have acquired several thousands of virtual dollars which were supposed to somehow get used to buy things...  I am still not sure what 'things' these might be, but so far this virtual resource hasn't served any real purpose.
A real life view of Discovery Bay (WA) after some intense weather this week.
I am thinking this blending of virtual and real lives could be beneficial to people who are struggling. Why couldn't I make donations from my virtual account to some service or cause to be used for someone's else's electric bill? Is that any different from passing the hat in real life and not knowing where those funds end up? Isn't that what bankers are doing all the time? Moving funds around in virtual accounts? Just thinking out loud... wondering whether there will come a time when virtual and real lines become so blurred we may wake up and find water splashing over the gunwales and getting our beds wet.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 4, 2012 at 7:45 PM

    dear sandy,

    funny you should mention this. i have often thought about some things along the same line. wouldn't it be great if, say, a super healthy person with top-notch health insurance who had only minimal claims could virtually donate a portion of their coverage to a very sick patient with poor or no health insurance? or why can't all those frequent flyer miles (that we EARNED!) be transfered to philanthropical resources that could help needy people fly to destinations to be with their families when someone is sick or dying or wishes burial in their homeland? i thought of that one when we were given the only option to "spend" our racked up miles by applying them to of all things - magazine subscriptions! that just seemed so WRONG. maybe this thinking out loud post will spark a movement to at least consider the possibilities. great post, sandy.

    hugs,

    karen, TC

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    Replies
    1. SandyDecember 5, 2012 at 5:37 PM

      I sincerely hope my 'out-loud' thoughts stimulate someone who might be able to encourage this change to move forward!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousDecember 5, 2012 at 10:26 PM

    ME, TOO !!!

    SAIL ON, CAPTAIN, SAIL ON...

    HUGS,

    karen,TC

    ReplyDelete

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