Burning Man

I’ve been thinking about Burning Man a lot lately.  Partly because the heat and strange dusty wind storms of Denver remind me of the dry desert heat of the Playa and partly because I know all the Burners out there are preparing for their annual trip to the Black Rock City(now, of course, this they are all back from their sojourn in the desert).  Last year was my first year attending and to be honest, it took me a better part of a year to full comprehend what I had experienced.  When I think about Burning Man the words overwhelming, surreal, extraordinary, mind-blowing and hope all come to mind.  I have found it difficult to explain because the principles of Burning Man are so contrary to the principles of ‘regular’ society, i.e. the media-fueled, celebrity-focused, money-driven society we live in today.  Burning Man is refreshing – no money is exchanged, people are treated equally and equally welcome (unless you can’t get your hands on a ticket); you are responsible for your own survival, and best of all, creativity and art are celebrated.  I left Burning Man with an absolute awe of the abilities of humans.  An entire city was constructed to exist for only a week – complete with an airport, post office, temple, bars, spas, and yoga studios.  The list goes on.  Deep in the Playa, I found a movie theatre with two showings a night.  I stumbled across a desert oasis in the middle of a sand storm with palm trees and couches and arm chairs.  There are giant slides and playgrounds.  Dance parties, art shows, and jazz concerts.  Art carts drive around and look like giant octopus shooting fire or a rainbow with a unicorn jumping over it.  Beauty, creativity, and innovation are everywhere at Burning Man.  It truly is an inspirational and wonderful event – and we’d all be a little better off if we shared in the same spirit of community as Burning Man.