Writing 101, Day Seven: Give and Take

Today’s prompt: Focus today’s post on the contrast between two things. The twist? Write the post in the form of a dialogue.

Real Versus Virtual World.

I have two lives, a real life and a virtual one. The virtual life (VL) is very easy-going, she never moans or complains, and is mostly polite, friendly, and supportive. The real life (RL) is far more demanding, complex, and exhausting. I want my two lives to understand each other and get on, because it would make my whole life easier for me. This was the discussion they had…

RL. I’m a life. I’m her life. I’m her real life. I’m full of people she can see, touch, hear, and smell.

VL. I’m a life, too. I’m her life. I’m her virtual life. I’m full of people from all over the planet she’ll be able to meet and interact with.

RL. But she can’t see the expression on their faces or hear the sound of their voices, or smell their perfume, or shake their hands, or have a coffee with them…

VL. But she can read about their opinions, know what they think, and travel around the world. She’ll see photographs of places she’ll never visit. She’ll read about experiences she’s never had, and learn about anything and everything she’s interested in.

RL. You aren’t leading her anywhere… you’re dead-end. She doesn’t need you. She needs me. She need to go shopping, speak to her neighbours, go to work…

VL. Excuse me, but she’s in touch with all her ‘real’ family and friends on Facebook, skype, twitter, line, and whatsapp. She’s more in touch with ‘real’ people through her virtual life and she gets to meet many other people, who happen to be ‘real’, too, as far as I know…

RL. You take up too much of her life…

VL. I’d say it’s you who takes up too much of her life. She has to spend at least fourteen or fifteen of the seventeen hours she’s awake, dealing with all the problems you cause, while she only has two or three hours to see to her virtual life, which is much less stressful…

RL. She needs me…

VL. She needs me, too…

They’ll never agree, so at least they’ll agree to disagree.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep them both, because they’re both part of who I am and how I live, although my real life is going to have to be more generous and give up some of her time in favour of my virtual life…

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