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Here’s a picture of me in front of the Christmas tree I put in my office for the holidays.

Here is one of the first essays I ever wrote about my experiences in Second Life.  You can find it at the University of Cincinnati’s Second Life Learning Community Wiki:  http://homepages.uc.edu/secondlife/index.php/Site/WhoAmI?

Who Am I? – by Nancy Jennings (AKA Sweetpea Sunnyside)

When I first started learning about online communities and avatars, I never imagined that I would ever get involved in one or create a virtual identity. From what I had read, it seemed like this was something only a handful of people were doing, and it would never make it past those heavily involved in technology. Never say never.

Although I do not consider myself a technology geek, others might disagree. I consider myself an end-user, knowing very little about code, networks, or hardware. But I feel very comfortable learning my way around software, and I find myself using keystrokes as short-cuts rather than drop-down menus and mouse clicks. I’ve learned editing software to make DVDs, and podcast my lectures. So why not try my hand at an MMOG? With the encouragement of my technology mentor, I ventured into Second Life.

First things first, I had to come up with a name. I’ve never had the choice of picking my name. My parents named me. When I married my husband, I took his last name. Together, we selected names for our two children which soon became my new name as well, Katie’s mom or Billy’s mom. But now I had the chance to name myself. What would that be? I wanted something that reflected something about me but that I could still hide behind. Scrolling down the list of last names, one leaped out at me…Sunnyside. I liked that. It made me smile. Now, for the first name…what would go with “Sunnyside”? It seemed to me that a flower name would go well with “Sunnyside” but what flower? Daffodil? Daisy? Tulip? Iris? Chrysanthemum? Petunia? I couldn’t hit on it. Then it dawned on me. I was born in April, and April’s flower is the Sweetpea. Ah Ha! That’s it! Sweetpea Sunnyside.

Now, what should I look like? Being of short stature and aging less than gracefully, I saw this as my opportunity to be taller, thinner, younger, and blonde. I tried on many different hair colors, and slid the sizing scale up and down to see how I would look. In the end, I decided that I felt most comfortable “in my own skin.” My avatar is a combination of how I used to be and what I wish I could be. In graduate school, I wore my hair long and straight and that seems to suit my avatar. It reminds me to be ever exploratory and open to new ideas. In real life, finding clothes that fit properly has always a challenge, but not in Second Life. My avatar dons a long, chocolate brown skirt, boots, and a fitted shirt…a combination that I wish I could wear in Real Life but never do. And what about those signs of aging…glasses…grey hair…love handles…GONE! If it were only that easy in real life.

With a new name and new appearance, I was ready to face my new life as an avatar in an online community. As I began to explore Second Life and meet new people, I felt myself tested. Was I up for the challenge? Could I really take on a new adventures online that I wouldn’t dare in real life? What I soon discovered was that I had to be me. I couldn’t venture far from my own values and morals. While I am certainly up seeing the possibilities, I quickly learned what was too far of a stretch for me. This certainly seems to be a good place to learn not only about relationships, culture, and technology, but also a place to learn about myself. I look forward to growing with the technology as I continue to develop my own identity, both on and off line.

Sweetpea makes her first appearance in SL.

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