The War of Two Worlds

Virtual worlds are like real life countries.

They are located right next to each other on the virtual map and although sometimes may appear the same, they will have different rules, behaviors, cultures and requirements.

The people could be different or the same. They can play and work within both countries or maybe they immigrated from one country to the next in hopes of finding something exciting and new. Possibly they live in one country and have a vacation home in another or they enjoy dual citizenship and live in both.

The people that live in these separate countries can accept and welcome their new neighbors with open arms. Without fear, prejudice or hate. To acknowledge their own options of what a new country could do for them and making those choices for themselves. Without attempting to put their choices onto another.

Or they can fear having a new country next door will mean less for them, losing friends or alternate lifestyles. They can campaign to try and remove the new country from the map. To slander it with words and false claims. They can wage war on it through blogs and forums and word of mouth in their own country. They can cause undo concern for others and try to put fear into minds that something bad is happening.

Each of us have choices with new virtual worlds cropping up on the map and offering alternatives. We can either behave like real world hate mongers and wage war on other VW's out of our own personal fear and lack of understanding someone's need for something different, exciting and new. Or we can become what we wish the real world was...tolerant of others and their choices, accepting that people live and make decisions different from us and by doing so, it does not make them a bad person or mean they are taking away from us personally.

Many years ago, Bette Midler released her song "From a Distance" to show her hope for world peace and to remind us that even though we are in different countries and do things differently, fear and hate should have no place in our world. We should remember this for our virtual worlds; we have a chance to be better then our real world counter part and not wage war on each other through hate or fear.

Bette Midler:

"From a distance you look like my friend, even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend what all this fighting is for."

No virtual world is here to take your creators, your friends, your hopes or your dreams.

Please don't try to take those very things you fear to lose from others.