With the class ending soon and the projects finished, I began to reflect back on Dee and what I have learned from it. From interviewing the members and just exploring the community, I could see how close knit it is. Most of the avatars knew each other and knew which spots were the most popular. Runa tried to explain to me how close the community was:

“Racial or any other conflicts are non-existent, here we are equal and care for each other as much as even possible.”

This was such an interesting quote to me because it really opened my eyes to our own community. In the U.S race, gender, age, sexual orientation seem to play such a large role in whom we encounter and whom we associate ourselves with. Because of this ignorance, our society has grown weak compared to that of Dee. We judge each other based on so many aspects that it becomes hard to really be “ourselves”. Runa explains how SL can become that place; that escape so that we can really, truly be who we are free from judgment and ridicule.

I hope that one say our nation can take from Dee as I have. To learn not to judge someone based on his or her differences but to embrace them and let it define our community. Runa tells me that of how many different people there are:

“Just to give an idea, we have French, Israelite, Polish, Dutch, German, United Kingdom, USA, and Japan and other Asian players here.“

With this many different backgrounds and cultures, Dee makes a point to accept everyone. One day, maybe we can be like that. I want to give a special thanks to Runa who really helped me to see this difference and hope for a change in our society.