My virtual world graduation from the University of Washington 2010 was just as real as can be. I documented the milestone with a mixed reality machinima. A year later, at the UW Virtual World Graduation for the Class of 2011, I once again recorded machinima shots. As I was recording, the speaker for the graduation class mentioned me by name and it became clear to me how virtual worlds cross time and space. The speaker (Stylianos), who lives halfway around the world in Greece, had been influenced by my machinima the year before! Through watching my Youtube video (then contacting me), he was intrigued with the UW virtual worlds course. He signed up for the intense coursework, even though it meant staying up all night once a week or getting up well before dawn.

The idea that I most want to express here is the revolutionary concept of meeting those with similar ideas and goals across time and space. Never before in our human history has this been possible. Chance encounters ruled our destinies in the past. Wait…chance encounters may still rule. Opportunities are always at the door and that has always been true. The ability to open our eyes to the possibilities is the significant factor.

I wrote a poem once about the seasons… and here’s a line that fits:

Over and over again
The seasons arrive at your door
Open your eyes and you’ll see
What you’ve never seen before.