Greetings all!
New to the forums and this thread has been an interesting read
I gotta say, my hesitations about going to BM and turning down all those invites I have been getting since '91...I never went due to lack of funds, being stationed (military) where I could not get away long enough, or those basic reasons...those are what I am dealing with again..and I thought they were gone.
I am 46 and in my early years I was forced...I say forced because it would have never been my choice...to live as a child of '60s hippie gypsies.
So the most of the varied subjects that this rather long thread have touched on strike me a bit curious.
Having had cigarettes, alcohol, and pot offered by my parents and their like minded '60s hippie gypsies (which shall further be referred to as roaches) since I was in grade school...I do not find the same appreciation for those three subjects/items...I never smoked either but I did drink, having to change schools in the 4th and the 5th grade for being drunk at school tends to make things hot at home...moving 3-4 times a year, every year...so I tend to keep a distance from all three...which makes being in crowds of people partaking of the same a bit tough for the home team.
The deodorant/antiperspirant issue is interesting. As one would guess, the natural smells of unkempt humans were popular with the roaches. I gotta tell you at least for me I appreciate the personal smell of the skin and various aroma locations of my wife, but that is it...honestly I do not appreciate the general chromatic chemosensor stimuli din that tend rises up from the various cracks, pits, and surfaces that an intrusion of roaches can generate. So if asked, I am not on board for the general stink that comes from unwashed bodies or unchecked body odors. If this is a chain I must carry then I am ok with that. I happen to like many varieties of perfumes, incense (except patchouli which causes a severe reaction of anger on my part...having all my clothes stink of it up until high school tends to do that), and other smell good aspects of modern culture that are not popular with some others apparently...most flowers and fruit naturally smell good...most people do not.
The one exception would be the aforementioned hoo hoo and needing to purge with chemicals...I would say only in situations that require action beyond everyday hygiene, wavering on medical attention that this should be used...but people are people, some folks have naturally bad breath and others have other issues...but from personal experience, the basics of bathing is enough...the idea of constantly flushing with various fluids seems a bit extreme.
And speaking of douche bags and roaches...I find that the stories of these POS are bumming me out.
Having spent a great deal of my working as and with artists of various disciplines I can honestly say that for the most part artists have some serious issues with other people, the world as a whole, and a wide variety of things in between. I think we are all a bit eccentric but most folks rarely get the opportunity to show it...but artists, we are expected to show it...that is what it is to create...an expression of what an artist sees or feels. This tends to also develop into other issues...questioning, speaking, up/out, breaking things, etc.
The idea of Burning Man has always intrigued me...a collection of people...regular people, artists, craftsmen, etc...coming together to build something unique and collective, just to enjoy the process...then see it reduced to so much ash and dust. There is something pure in that exercise.
But somehow the ideal of this has become something else, as it would seem to an outsider looking, reading, or googling in anyway.
Being a Birgin myself I have trepidations...
I have plans, a commissioned budget, and interest to carry me through...but to be honest I just do not have the desire to have a "top douche bag list from my Burning Man event experience" series of stories.
I have already been corrected in my thinking that it was all bikini/fur boots, painted naked bodies, and more dead Long Island Whitefish then you could imagine...thankfully this is just the small "wooooo" percentage that gets photo coverage.
The idea of my mutant vehicle being stolen or tagged kinda pisses me off.
The thought of drunk/high roaches climbing on art installations because they want to, regardless of if it was ment or designed for climbing pretty much makes me less than interested in the project...having to build in special considerations to account for the worst case situation of "wooooo" takes away from the design.
And the final WTF is the begging. Wlie buskers can be fun if they are not pushy, I have had the joyful experience of dealing with begging from various grades of panhandlers from the streets of Manhattan, New Orleans, Key West, Chicago, etc...by joyful I mean to say life sucking...I pretty much despise begging.
I can handle, ignore, and otherwise bypass all the prior issues...as they are mine to bare...but the begging, that would cause me some high degree of irritation.
If I bring water or food without the intent to sell, swap, or share...meaning enough for myself and mine...then it would be a serious breach of the social contract to beg.
If you are a young kid, old, infirm, heavy with child, or in some other way in a condition that required attention and support...then I would give it...but don't beg.
Maybe it is just me...but going into the deep, dry, and toxic desert without the means, ability, or desire to take care of yourself then why does it fall on me to support the beggers and roaches?
Why on Earth would someone thrust themselves into the toxic dry desert without any resources? No ride. No money. No water. No food. No thing...nothing? Really? And in the end how much begging are we talking about?
*****
Yes there is a deep streak of conservative running through me. But not so much that I can not appreciate what the fundamentals of the Burning Man project represents.
It does seem that the current vibe is nearing a spring break situation...lots of tits and ass, drinking and wooooo, and worst of all roving clusters of belligerent roaches looking for handouts.
I will have to just go to the next one and see for myself if it is worth investing my time and effort to get involved.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Have a great week everyone.
Atomic Ray
Talk to your neighbors before you begin setup, whenever possible.
... I mean sound to it. Decontamination could come in the form of mandatory relocation to somewhere past 12:00 with no porta potties. Decontamination could be considered complete and reintegration could occur upon completion of the collection of 1 large bag of MOOP or some other valuable volunteer effort to prove humanity exists in said dysfunctional douche-bag carcass. Thoughts?
