Burning Man for the over 50 crowd

[MyDearFriend]

All this talk about "over 50" as if that makes any kind of difference just pisses me off. Get over yourselves, people; age is not some kind of "get out of jail free" card that excuses you from living an authentic life.

[bigdane]

(((MDF))) I'm with you (as I posted earlier) but it doesn't look like anyone is whinng about age to me...perhaps there is an underlying theme I missed??

[Sail Man]

Hitting 50 means that the AARP stuff I have been getting in the mail for a few years now can be filled out if I so choose. I already got my first geezer discount LOL at a Motel 6 in Ely NV returning from the burn, still 2 weeks shy of 50 but the young man gave it to me anyway. What the hell, might as well take advantage of it while I am still kicking

[AntiM]

I've been using the AARP discounts for a couple years now. Good stuff.

As I age, I become more myself. I don't have a good way to explain that.

[Dr. Pyro]

And I for one am not shy about getting the Senior's Discount at Denny's. Of course, the problem with that is that you have to eat at Denny's to use it.

[littleflower]

*considers the possible ramifications of calling jk a chicken hawk*

Hell, in all the years I've been going to BM I don't think I've met anyone that was older than me!

JK, you never met magicmarty? he'll be 80 this year .... chronologically, of course .....

this will be my last year not being over 50 .... guess i better make the most of it.....

[Elorrum]

When the Trojan horse was going up last year, I was with friends and we were overwhelmed for viewing two major fireworks displays in one night. Dale says, "Who doesn't like fireworks?" "dogs don't" I replied. O.K. so I pissed on the rhetorical beauty of his statement, but it was a lovely night. It also spawned a sub text of riffing on injured dog collars as costume elements. I digress.

[tamarakay]

Took the kids to carlsbad caverns about 10 years ago, the young lady at the register at the cafeteria informed me that she gave my Dad the senior citizen discount. SInce my dad was 600 miles away I just thanked her and started calling kendoll Pops. He wasn't amused.

[jkisha]

*considers the possible ramifications of calling jk a chicken hawk*

Hell, in all the years I've been going to BM I don't think I've met anyone that was older than me!

JK, you never met magicmarty? he'll be 80 this year .... chronologically, of course .....

this will be my last year not being over 50 .... guess i better make the most of it.....

OMG. I didn't realize you were that old! I really never thought about it before, but I would have guessed late thirties real early forties at the most.

[gaminwench]

...flatterer...

[Shambala]

What is this, some sort of geriatric festival? I need to find an event with people more my age!

[theCryptofishist]

What is this, some sort of geriatric festival? I need to find an event with people more my age!

Chicken hawk.

[Shambala]

What is this, some sort of geriatric festival? I need to find an event with people more my age!

Chicken hawk.

[Elorrum]

[unjonharley]

So this makes Elliot, Foghorn Leghorn

[MyDearFriend]

No, Unjon, I believe that would be you.

(((Bigdane))) the only underlying theme I get (obviously by no means shared by all parties here!) and what pisses me off is the idea that there is some kind of magical specialness about being "over 50" that lumps everyone over 50 some kind of "crowd," separate from other Burners. Those folks who want to crowd together in their overfiftyness, who are they? Who do they imagine they are they separating themselves from? Do they imagine a "mainstream" kind of Burner (ridiculous right there, eh?) as someone who is "not over 50" ???

I think, I don't really know or care, but I think that most of my playa heroes are over 50. But age is not a strong predictive variable in this setting. Experience battles with ennui. Each iteration of BRC is co-created by participants and every participant's Burn is self-directed.

So to erect an imaginary age line and sequester yourself behind it, that's absurd. To try and rope me into that nonsense? That's infuriating.



PS Tamara, your husband is way too hot to be taken for your Dad. Though you are pretty hot yourself you do not look like you could have jail-baited him. A perfectly beautiful couple, in fact.

[Elliot]

Unjon, didn't you burn with a camp mate who is even older than you?

[Dr. Pyro]

Unjon, didn't you burn with a camp mate who is even older than you?

Only if he was being cremated.

[Nicole Hyde]

A friend turned 60 on September 1st. We dressed her up as our birthday queen for the day and put a sign on her that said "Kiss me, it's my 60th birthday" - she wore the sign through the day and into the night, and birthday kisses were abundant We intend to make it a tradition..

Where were you when I turned 60 a couple of weeks ago?

[Sassy Britches]

A friend turned 60 on September 1st. We dressed her up as our birthday queen for the day and put a sign on her that said "Kiss me, it's my 60th birthday" - she wore the sign through the day and into the night, and birthday kisses were abundant We intend to make it a tradition..

Where were you when I turned 60 a couple of weeks ago?

Clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time Happy Birthday!

[Sail Man]

And I for one am not shy about getting the Senior's Discount at Denny's. Of course, the problem with that is that you have to eat at Denny's to use it.

LOL I'm more into Large White Adolescent's myself



Thats Big Boy for all you sicko's out there

[Sassy Britches]

(((Bigdane))) the only underlying theme I get (obviously by no means shared by all parties here!) and what pisses me off is the idea that there is some kind of magical specialness about being "over 50" that lumps everyone over 50 some kind of "crowd," separate from other Burners. Those folks who want to crowd together in their overfiftyness, who are they? Who do they imagine they are they separating themselves from? Do they imagine a "mainstream" kind of Burner (ridiculous right there, eh?) as someone who is "not over 50" ???

I think, I don't really know or care, but I think that most of my playa heroes are over 50. But age is not a strong predictive variable in this setting. Experience battles with ennui. Each iteration of BRC is co-created by participants and every participant's Burn is self-directed.

So to erect an imaginary age line and sequester yourself behind it, that's absurd. To try and rope me into that nonsense? That's infuriating.

Wow, I so did not get (or intend to transmit) that vibe at all by reading or posting to this thread.

[theCryptofishist]

Unjon, didn't you burn with a camp mate who is even older than you?

"Grandfather" who was, if I remember right, his father-in-law. He got to the point where he couldn't do it anymore.

[MyDearFriend]

(((Bigdane))) the only underlying theme I get (obviously by no means shared by all parties here!) and what pisses me off is the idea that there is some kind of magical specialness about being "over 50" that lumps everyone over 50 some kind of "crowd," separate from other Burners. Those folks who want to crowd together in their overfiftyness, who are they? Who do they imagine they are they separating themselves from? Do they imagine a "mainstream" kind of Burner (ridiculous right there, eh?) as someone who is "not over 50" ???

I think, I don't really know or care, but I think that most of my playa heroes are over 50. But age is not a strong predictive variable in this setting. Experience battles with ennui. Each iteration of BRC is co-created by participants and every participant's Burn is self-directed.

So to erect an imaginary age line and sequester yourself behind it, that's absurd. To try and rope me into that nonsense? That's infuriating.

Wow, I so did not get (or intend to transmit) that vibe at all by reading or posting to this thread.

Sorry, maybe I am taking this all way too seriously or conflating some very silly things I have heard from nervous female burners of a certain age. I just don't think it makes any difference at all what age you are. Free your mind: if you are having fun you are doing it right, period.

Geez here I am preaching to the choir again

[tamarakay]

Why thank you MyDearFriend! He is a hottie. Ten years ago he had a beard, and I was a size 6. Once he shaved we stopped getting those comments. I am currently getting in touch with my innerHottie again and it has been a hoot!

I think that in so many of the burningman media pictures etc the pictures are of the sweet young things. The occasional "over 50" character gets thrown in, but if you went by published pictures you can see why people are amazed when they discover so many of us are at the burn and on here. I know I was nervous about it when Ken and I first started looking to come. That nervousness was NOTgoing to stop me, but the assurance of knowing we weren't such minorities did make a huge difference.

We went to the ArtOutside event not too long ago and our age did seem to have an impact. Right as we walked up to the first stage we came too one of the musicians pointed us out and asked "who brought their parents?" The rest of the weekend followed that trend. It would have been awful to have invested time, money, etc. into BM to end up with that reaction.

All that to say, I'm glad people are asking the question, and I'm happy to celebrate my experience, strengths, and hopes with burners of all ages, but most especially with those with character lines too.

[Sassy Britches]

And here is to the saggier and the firmer riding together Critical Tits again in 2012

[Bin Noddin]

Unjon, didn't you burn with a camp mate who is even older than you?

Yah - he was called "Adam"

(I'll be merely 60+ this year)

[FIGJAM]

The proper responce to "Who brought their parents?" is to yell back "I'M A BURNER, FUCK UR DAY"!!!!!!!!!!

[unjonharley]

Unjon, didn't you burn with a camp mate who is even older than you?

Ya, He turned 87 on MLK day.. Took a trip across the state to all the Casino's to get a free B day gift.. Then we went to Dennys for breakfast.. Later to the Elk's for dinner.. He is using a power chair now. Is into helping me with a MV for BM..

Screw you young punks..

[Elliot]

So he was... what... 85 or 84 last time he burned? That's pretty cool!