Storytelling Experience

I've come to realize that I need to expect the unexpected while logged into Second Life. When I heard the title "Story Hour: West of Ireland's Shandon Loring" I expected to see something much different than what took place. The word "Ireland" automatically made me think that there would be a man dressed in Celtic attire, maybe cracking a beer while he told his story in a dim lit bar. Boy was I far off! When the space ship arrived and an alien creature walked out I laughed out loud at how different this event was than what I had pictured in my head. Shandon's voice was the only thing that was exactly what I had expected. I was worried that since he was storytelling via Second Life there would be a disconnection from the audience, but his humor and the interactive chat during the performance made for a unique experience. Definitely not one that I would have had in the real world!

This also was the first time I had been around a fairly large group of avatars. I had another preconceived notion that some of the avatars would be rude and uninviting. I had this terrible scenario in my head that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to turn on the sound in Second Life and no one would help me, therefore causing me to miss the event. Again, I was completely wrong. The exact opposite occurred actually. As soon as I arrived I was greeted and felt very welcomed. I was also given a very organized instruction sheet on how to turn my sound on in the appropriate manner. That wasn't all though; once the storyteller arrived he was sure to ask numerous times if we were able to hear him. I suppose this makes sense because he would want anyone attending to be able to hear his performance, but it put me at ease and made me realize if I had needed help it would not have been hard to find. The more I experience Second Life, the more I can learn form my experiences and allow my ideas about it to change and develop.

*Special thanks to Ignatius Onomatopoeia for the photograph