Pet Karu - Navigating Virtual Relationships
HAC Presenters Series 9
“Restore the castaway, repair the broken, and give someone a soft place to land.” - Pet Karu
In her first life, Maria Brown has built an active and challenging career as a counselor certified in Family Matters, Women's issues, and Sexual Addictions. She describes herself as a great listener who has a heart for the broken and bruised. She is a peer support counseling volunteer with the Eve’s Center - a women’s counseling ministry - and has worked for six years with women struggling with substance abuse and those who’ve been released from prison.
Maria entered Second Life (SL) in 2008 to take part in a poetry group and never left. Taking the name Pet Karu, she chose an avatar that would be as close to her physical self as possible, reflecting her African American heritage, but still adaptable. “I needed to be able to change how my avatar looked so I could take part in live theatrical performances in SL,” she says. In addition to being a member of a drama troupe, Pet enjoys group discussions, meditation, sailing, flying a helicopter, and designing sims. All of these have “…created cultural bridges, broadened my world view, and deepened my patience with others unlike myself.”
Pet is perhaps best known in Second Life for her work as a relationship counselor at Inspiration Island. There she runs a group called, “Fearless Lovers” where people share joys, pains, and issues related to online/inworld relationsnhips. Pet herself is uiquely qualified to supprt others strugglig with virtual relationships since she has a virtual partner in SL. “Though I live alone in RL, my SL relationship is as close, loving, and rewarding as a RL relationship,” she says. “If you or someone you know is suffering from an online relationship breakdown, I'm a great listener,” Pet adds. “My motto is, ‘Restore the castaway, repair the broken, and give someone a soft place to land when their world is crashing around them.’”
Like everything else she does, Pet takes a practical, no nonsense approach to aging, saying that “peace of mind and acceptance of approaching or living in this stage of life” are important to healthful aging. “Participating in SL keeps my mind active, and finding other like-minded people to share joys, pains, and issues with while we support each other on this journey is special.”
HAC Presentation: Aging and Romance with Pet Karu
Description: Relationships in Second Life can be confusing and painful...or they can bring new joy and meaning into our lives. We unpack these relationships which can impact our lives to a crippling effect or can catapult us spiraling upward as well as downward in both first and Second Life. It is my hope to celebrate with the joyful, restore the castaway, repair the broken, and give someone a soft place to land when their world is crashing around them. We journey together to transform ourselves into the persons who are emotionally mature to handle the stresses life throws our way.
Date: Wednesday, May 17th
Time: 10:00 am (SLT)"
1:00 pm (EDT)
5:00 pm (GMT)
Location: WBH Relationships Circle
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Inspiration%20Island/241/148/701
Voice: Yes (Enable ears)
Text Chat: No
BIO
I am certified in Family Matters, Women's issues, and Sexual Addictions. I have a heart for the broken and a bruised. If you are suffering from an online relationship breakdown, I'm a great listener. I am also is a peer support counseling volunteer with the Eve’s Center, a women’s counseling ministry. I am founder of Genesthai Inc. I have worked with ladies released from prison and substance abuse for 6 years. I've been an online mentor for those suffering from sexual addictions with https://settingcaptivesfree.com for seven years. I’ve been online for 19 years with 11 years in SL. Currently, I can be found at Inspiration Island (Whole Brain Health) as a facilitator for "Relationships in SL and Beyond" from Noon - 1 PM on Wednesdays.
If you could use my services, send me a note and I'll reply in 24 hours or less.
Additional Information About Maria (Pet)
I am a member of The International Association of Biblical Counselors in USA.
I am a recently ordained and licensed pastor.
My first published books is, Transforming Clay into Vessels of Honor, Xulon Press, May 2006.
I have also been published in minor works and anthologies
I have been a journalist for ICON, Scruplz, and the Christian Ezine magazines.
I've been a columnist for Tombstone's Epitaph Newspaper.
I've been a program host for MetaVerse Broadcasting Company, Metaverse TV.
Founder of Unity Productions, bringing biblical stories, Broadway Plays and original works to the virtual stage: http://www.genesthai.us/
Questions? Email me at petkaru2ndlife@gmail.com
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