Making Friends and lasting relationships. Can you do it in SL?

Absolutely!
That is one of the best things about Second Life the people you encounter. Second life gives you the chance to not only make long lasting friendships but relationships as well. You not only get an opportunity to meet fascinating people here but people of many different cultures. All interacting in a setting with no bias and hopefully no prejudice. You see an avatar and you start to talk to him. You can base your opinion on the individual themselves, not their color or nationality. It is a wonderful thing. Yes you will not get along with everyone you encounter but at least you can decide for yourself whether you like that person or not, on your own, without the outside opinions that the world may have put upon you. There are also many who find love in SL. Yes it is possible to fall in love with someone you have never actually seen. I think Second Life gives us the opportunity to fall in love with the real person. Not the outside we often show people. In real life we all tend to hide ourselves inside not letting many see the real us. In Second Life though we can show more of ourselves then others can. Showing people our inner minds that we may hide from others. Being able to create things here that you may not have the opportunity to do in RL. So you may be meeting the person that is more likely their true selves rather then the one they hide from the real world.

Now I am not a fan of SL weddings but I do understand how some would want to get married in SL. They may not be for me but for others they are fine. To have the opportunity to join into a relationship is a wonderful thing and if a couple wants to do that with Second Life vows then who am I to disagree with that. However I do not think they are necessary. I think it is up to the individual and what they want to get out of SL. 

Relationships in SL can be a truly wonderful thing, the connections made here are real and should not be made fun of or dismissed. Is Second life addicting? Yes of course it is and one of the reasons for that are the people that we encounter here. The relationships and friendships made here are just as real as they are in real life. There is no denying that fact, and those that do are fooling themselves. We find friends and loved ones that make lasting connections in our hearts and minds and it is as real as if they were standing in front of us.
So come on in and explore Second Life. Don't be afraid I promise you will meet a broad array of people and personalities that will make the experience one you will want to continue over and over, and soon you too will be addicted like the rest of us!