Why not. RL (Real Life) defines you with your gender, age, religion/politics, ethnic background, job/income and location. SL (Second Life)gives you a second chance to express yourself with LESS limits. Socialize and interact with other people from all over the world. You might even realize that all of the limitations you are wearing, some are coming from your own mind.

You don’t L@@K or act like a mermaid?

• Wearing legs.
• Out of the water/breathing air.
• Wearing too much clothing/wrong clothing (ex. necktie)
• Your BLACK!

Prepare yourself. Know that others are going to try and tell you how to live, dress, look and act in your fantasy life. My Bestest (no, I did not misspell that word, that is how we say it) friend in the whole world (RL and SL) is an SL Vamp. It was a surprise to both of us, that I decided to become a mermaid and not a vampire. REAL friends are supportive and happy for you!

Do you remember the dreams and fantasies you had as a child? Be a superhero, star, wanting special powers? By the time I came to Second Life, my childhood was long gone. A brief escape from reality into books or movies was all I could hope for. Certain movies over the years, shaped my life.

The book, The Little Mermaid  by Hans Christian Andersen had me crying myself to sleep. As a child, I hated the unfairness of the ending and made up my own happy ending. Many years later, I understood how his happiness fueled her happiness. True Love. Now THAT is a superpower.

In 1984 the movie Splash had goosebumps all over me. It had true love and the happy ending for the mermaid, and at last I could cry happy tears.

The Little Mermaid was released to theaters on November 17, 1989. Critics dubbed movies with a happy ending, Disney Endings. That only fueled the demand for more. When I bought a book or rented a movie, I wanted a Disney Ending. An escape ticket to true love, hope and a happy ending.

Years would pass before a chance reconnect with an old friend, would lead me to Second Life. Its like reading a book, going on an adventure game, watching a movie, texting friends, chatting in talk rooms, and so much more. Second Life is where a childhood dream can exist.

A little black girl grew up, raised three children, loved and lost along the way, and finally became a mermaid. Even if only in the digital world, its a start. This is not the end of my story, its the beginning of a mermaid named Peaches2U Camino.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.