Friday, May 2, 2008

Awesome as a Possum


(Notes From SL is (or should it be "are"?) proud as pumpkins and pleased as peaches to introduce our first guest columnist Lydian, who has dug her claws into an aspect of SL rarely seen - especially if you don't look down. Thanks Lydian. Enjoy!)

In my limited experience in SL I've seen a number of good things, bad things and things that defy reason and don't fit into any coherent category I can think of.

And I've seen many of them from knee level.

Stop! Not what you're thinking!

I've had the most fun so far in my life as a fuzzy, dress wearing, and obnoxiously cute little opossum. Look down; see those ears? Those ears are me, buster.


Now, some of you sword-wielding or gown-wielding SLers might ask "What could possibly be appealing about being a possum?"

And the answer is tough, soul searching and just simple: Cookies.

Well, ok… maybe not just cookies, but they are definitely a perk. Tinies, as us little folk are called, seem to transcend social barriers of all kinds. Transcend might not be the right word. Maybe we just easily slip under the hurdles. And we don’t squeal under the pressure to be beautiful or handsome. In the world of tinies I've yet to hear "Does this dress make my pouch look fat?" We only have to be cute and we do that with a vengeance.

I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to talk to a tiny cat or hippo rather then that double DD blonde or dashing, muscular hunk over there at the edge of the dance floor?

Stop! You don’t have to answer that question honestly.

But, at least for me as a possum, it has been easier to walk up to tiny and human alike and begin conversations. And sometimes I didn't even need to open my mouth (ehm.. snout).
"Oh my you're a cute little…. thing. What exactly are you? Do those shoes come in my size? That dress compliments your pouch very nicely!" For shy and sometimes conversationally challenged people like me, being pint sized has helped me meet people I probably would not have talked to or, for that matter, who probably wouldn't have bothered to talk to me if I had been somewhat larger. And less fuzzy. And it's always a good opportunity to ask for cookies.

But cookies and easy conversation is only the tip of the miniature iceberg. Being a tiny doesn't mean you’re banned to, well, staring whimsically at grown up chairs. There are whole sims dedicated to the tiny way of life, complete with tiny dances, games, ladybug and bumblebee rides, mushroom houses and even a space station of tiny proportions! And in a flight of tiny smugness I’d like to remind you that the first being in space was not a human, but a dog.

True, being tiny alienates a bit from participating in "big people" dances and sitting on big people furniture because we get folded over and stretched out like silly putty. But I’ve seen enough humans with their legs embedded in the upholstery not to be too worried about that.

So, anyone got any cookies?


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know Lydian, I think that there's a little girl in there just waiting to get out.
So come on as little Miss Muffet and see what sort of attention you get then my dear................

Eaton said...

I disagree with anonymous (as I generally do).
Take a step back and a look down.. maybe there's a possum inside us all wanting to get out (and inside of that a girl, then another possum, then a girl, then another possum.... all the way down). Feel free to substitute boy for girl here and possum with anything mildly fuzzy.

Anonymous said...

Theee wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round... round and round... the wheels on the bus go round and round.. early in the moooooorrrrrnnnnnniiiinnnnnggggg.