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This article is dedicated to all the children who came to Whyville to learn,
explore and discover, who found great joy in Whyville but eventually grew up
and moved on. It is dedicated to all those children who have yet to find
Whyville, but one day will, with delight, and recognize it for what it truly is.
It is dedicated to all Times Writers of the past, present and future. And most
of all, it is dedicated to the City Workers, who have brought so much more than
their share of joy to the world.
Long hours, with a kind of puzzled bewilderment, I have pondered Whyville. What
draws people to our happy island? What is so addicting, so magnetic, so powerful
that thousands of children, every day, choose to spend hours of their time on
this incredible website? And what, specifically, do we all have in common? For I
was sure there was something. My addiction, and that of others I knew, was too
strong to be explained away by the mere fun and games. Well, perhaps for the
younger citizens, the thrill of earning clams and chatting with friends is a
satisfactory reason to stay. But for older ones... I think it's something else. A
reason deeper and stronger and more important than can easily be gleaned from
a quick glance at a chatroom.
It's need. Those of us who log on Whyville, day after day, for hours at a
sitting, are striving for something. Something we can't get in real life for a
variety of reasons. In real life, we are who we are. There's no starting over,
and little chance to change. But Whyville is different. Whyville offers absolute
freedom, and with it, an amazing ability to heal and comfort. Let me demonstrate
with my story.
This summer, I was a very insecure person. High school loomed up in front
of me, and with it, many fears. Several of my old friends were going to other
schools, and I worried about being able to make new ones. I was going to be
taking a number of challenging, high-level classes and was terrified that they
would be too hard. And to top it off, I wasn't feeling so secure about my
appearance, either. I felt as if my life were a train hurtling down a track and I
was standing outside, watching it speed by, trying to figure out where it was
going. I really didn't know who I was or who I wanted to be.
Enter Whyville. On July 25, 2003 I logged on to JasmineK for the first time, and
immediately threw all my energies and efforts into my account. It was as though
all this time I had been waiting, waiting for this to happen, and finally it
had. Breathlessly, frantically, as though I might wake up any time and find it
had all been a dream, I launched myself into Whyville's world. Within weeks I
had thousands of clams, a Times Writer title, and a spot on the SmartCars' Top
Ten list. I had combed through all Whyville's chatrooms, hunting up hidden
secrets and little-known buildings. I made friends, started petitions, designed
face parts, and launched rockets. When school started, I thought I would be
going on Whyville less and less, but actually it was the opposite. I went on before
school, I snuck on during school, I rushed home after school, and I even dreamed
of it in my sleep.
But all this frantic activity covered up what I was really doing: I was finding
myself. For as I achieved a beautiful appearance on Whyville, I was teaching
myself to feel beautiful in real life. As I succeeded in many things on
Whyville, I started to feel like more of a success in real life. As I laughed
off insults from fellow Whyvillians, I learned how to laugh them off at home.
And as my newfound confidence allowed me to quickly and easily make friends on
Whyville, I realized I could do the same thing in real life.
When the veils of my insecurities were lifted by Whyville's freedom, my true
self was revealed to my astonished eyes. You know how they say, "Judge people by
what's on the inside, not on the outside"? Well in real life, that's easier
said than done... especially when it comes to judging yourself. But on Whyville, I
never judged myself on my appearance, only on the things I said and did. So when
I found myself admiring JasmineK, and then remembering she was really me, it was
amazing. Whyville showed me who I really am, and then taught me to love that
person, on the inside and out.
Lately, however, I have been feeling restless. I figured that Whyville was just
getting a little old, so I volunteered to be a Y-mail Helper and joined the Solstice Safari. But
still, I got bored. And then I realized what it was. When I first came to Whyville, I
needed something. I needed to learn who I was and become comfortable in my skin.
But now I have achieved that, I have fulfilled the need. My prime time is over.
It saddens me that it is finished so quickly, but that is how I have always
been: flighty, restless, always eager and searching for something new to try.
This is not to say I will stop coming on Whyville. I will continue to do so, probably
for years. I will continue with Solstice Safari. I will keep answering my Y-mail
helper questions. And when The Whyvillian resumes publication, I
will probably throw myself into that with the same intensity I do everything
else. But it will not be the same. I don't think Whyville can be the center of my life
anymore. One can only do that for so long.
So for now, I'm going to take a break. A week, a full week, with no internet. It
will be difficult: extremely so. But I'm determined to do it. I have final exams, and I need to concentrate on those. Also, I need to re-find the life I set
aside when Whyville came around. It was necessary to set it aside, for I truly
needed Whyville, and am so happy I found it. I have learned so many lessons
not previously mentioned; I experienced the pain losing a friend who
meant a great deal to me, and the joy of finding an even better one. I have
improved my writing immensely. I have learned a ton of science. And I have met
so many wonderful people, read so many brilliant articles, had so many
incredible experience I can't even begin to describe them.
But the internet is only one part of my life. There are so many other fantastic
and important parts that need attention. My friends, my family, my books, my
music. My hopes and my dreams for the future. My schoolwork, and my sleep. All
these were pushed aside for Whyville, but now it is time for me to regain them.
So I am going to devote an entire week to them: From January 25 to February 1 I will attempt to find again what I have lost. And then I will return to
Whyville. But not with the same vigor. For I know my time is passed, and the
time for others is just now coming. I wish you all good luck. And I would like
to say how incredibly happy I am to have been able to experience the magic of
Whyville.
JasmineK,
Truly grateful
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