Burning Man Destroyed My Life

[Shpilkus]

Yes DAB, you will get that fresh-in-the-morning playa smell, but you will NEVER get that stuff off your table. I have a garage full of playa crusted belongings that will never be clean enough to use any place else.

[Drawingablank]

Yes DAB, you will get that fresh-in-the-morning playa smell, but you will NEVER get that stuff off your table. I have a garage full of playa crusted belongings that will never be clean enough to use any place else.

LOL, well I wasn't actually planning to put it on my table. I've noticed from the bikes that that stuff is hard to get rid of and they still have major grey sections after 2 pressure washings.

[jcliff]

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! When I saw the tag line I expected something tragic. Your experience is exactly what Burning Man is supposed to be.....a tranformational experience that weaves itself through the thread of your default life. Stop by the Lamplighter Lounge sometime and say hi.....better yet, come light lamps with us some evening. Then you'll really feel the love!

[theCryptofishist]

...but that's where that scary lemur hangs out...

[Roberto Dobbisano]

i have to go take a shower.

i feel so...


greasy.

[Simon of the Playa]

pay attention you fucking stoner, that was supposed to go in the "rape" thread...

[Kontradiction]

Beautiful story. Thank you so much for sharing.

[bigdane]

From the moment I heard about Burning Man, I knew I had to go.

Burning Man Destroyed my life as I knew it. I have never been happier.

DAB...thanks for reliving your debut...next year will be my first and I know where you come from...what I thought of as life hasn't been like the living i dream about...I look forward to my life being destroyed so that I can start living

[Drawingablank]

Thanks for the continued comments.

what I thought of as life hasn't been like the living i dream about

To me that is a much better summation than the usual "BM changed my life bit". Although my life has changed a lot since attending, basically only in ways that I wanted it to (at least subconsciously). It did serve to drive home how unhappy I was though.

When I was younger I was more of a free spirit and only got sucked into the trappings of modern, mature, conventional (add whatever other adjectives you wish here) society with a great deal of kicking and screaming. Eventually that becomes the norm though, and a the decades fly past you eventually get complacent with it and forget who you really are inside.

The burn reminded me of what has been missing in my life, and all that long supressed stuff resurfaced.

[Savannah]

Yeah . . . uprooting oneself from life for a week, with little/no access to phones, internet, family, work, and default problems can remind you of who you are when those other things aren't twisting you into an unrecognizable shape.

Results vary, but it's always interesting.

[Drawingablank]

Our neighbor at the burn summed things up pretty well too "The burn makes you realize how little you need to be truly happy".

[burner von braun]

Just now ran across your thread, and great story DAB. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[PrplT]

Yes, Yes & Yes. You have described some of the experience to a 'T". My life was unwittingly and without planning or advanced knowledge 'destroyed by burning man' in 2000. I am forever grateful to the man who suggested we attend that first year. With Next To No advanced planning. (I wouldn't suggest that now. Read your First Timer's Guide & Survival Guide, People!) Now, 12 burns later (I skipped a year), I have experienced many cycles in my attendance. No longer am I focused on the one week period of the event. I practise throughout the year the many wonderful principles I was taught by many wonderful people out on the playa. It's no longer all about me and what i want. it's now what can i do for you...and you...and you.... Life is good. I also thank the playa and the project called burning man for 'destroying' my life as i knew it allll those years ago. See you soon, my burner family. ~Hugs~

[Finneganistan]

Thanks for this! I'm in a lull in between packing and freaking out. Typical for this time of year!

So ready!

[sassypickins]

Wow. I've never been to Burning Man, just watched and read for three years. Missed this one from last year, but I have tears in my eyes from reading it now. Today just got better for me. Thank you.