What is Burning Man?
Imagine every holiday you’ve ever experienced, every amusement park and every monument you’ve ever seen, all rolled up into one experience. No, I’m serious. Mention any of those things and I’ll have a response.
TJIC said, “The Washington Monument.”
Someone told me a story. I think this took place in 2003.
A man tried an experiment. He parked his car outside the gates of Burning Man, removed all of his clothes, identity, everything. He walked up to the gate with only his person and his ticket. He wanted to know if he could make it the entire week without anything but his self and the kindness of The Man. Happily, he had a fantastic time.
Email to Camparctica list
So there I was, standing in the ice truck in the middle of the desert, 92 degrees in the baking afternoon sun, quite chilled even with a sweater and hot chai in my hands after 3 hours of slinging. I love Camp Arctica! Thank you!
Email to NYC list
Subject: My Black Rock City experience
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful
Absurd, remarkable, scary, dusty, blinding, lonely, re-found, connected, wide-eyed, dizzying.
Fear of death, anxiety, released, spiritual, connected.
Wonderment, internal song opened up.
Wonderful, wonderful.Repaired, destroyed, renewed, a child’s happy thrill.
Possibilities for endless happiness hinted at and reminded of.Lee / Connector
Email reply to CinemaGirl
(Background: many people were involved in negative threads about the burn on the NYC list today. Icky poop experiences, a weird vibe, unhappiness about tourists, supposed commercialization of the event, etc)
>did anyone offer up any suggestions for clearing playa brain?
>
>I have it really badly this year. I have been useless at work this week.
>Maybe I should have slept more between playa and working.
>Did anyone find a cure for this?I’ve tried two strategies. One was working but the side-effects made me stop, the other is working pretty well.
First method: Read lots of negative comments about the burn. After an hour of reading, you should start getting angry, cynical, and closed. Side effect: the world becomes the unhappy place you thought it might be.
Second method: Smile, view photos of your second home, think about your second home often, and let the second world meld slowly into the first. Revel in it. Stay centered for a whole year. Side effect: people will keep telling you that you look different and you’ll have to keep telling them about your experience.