Any regrets?

[This Woman]

After I posted a regret on a confession thread I wondered about other peoples' regrets. Burning Man is a place we might like to think of as a no regrets zone, but surely others have felt the sting of regret...right?

I had three this year -

I forgot the camp name-tags that my son designed. They were beautiful!

After 17 years on the playa...ahem...I had shoe meltdown with all 3 pairs brought, and the ones I borrowed from a size 12 man (I'm a 10) served only to injure and inhibit me - all hail art cars!

Threw away an opportunity for an epic snuggle-down because...oh hell, I don't know why, and there's no excuse.

[ygmir]

none.

[BBadger]

I regret that in some of the sets of photos I took to stitch I forgot to take a photo of certain parts of the scene (like the bottom where my feet would be); it's like having a hole in the stitching. Conversely, I was very pleased to find an accidental shot where I was able to capture the moon's surface. Now I know it's possible with a hand-held camera, and I'll have to memorize those aperture/exposure values.

So hey, even Stevens!

[TomServo]

Should have stayed in Center Camp!

[Savannah]

I had a present for the lovely and hospitable Bexx, but I will have to mail it to her.

[BBadger]

Oh now I remember one for this year: I regret not seeing Junglesmacks' glowing pants in person. Still, at least I ran into him at MnG.

[tamarakay]

None

[FIGJAM]

After going for 3 years, I believe I've achived Burning Man, but not sure if I've experienced it.

[MacGlenver]

Didnt see enough art this year! Too much time building. Next year we will execute more efficiently and distribute the tasks better (I hope).

[skippy3k]

This year put last year into respective. I regret how last year went down and the friendship I lost. I wish they could have come with me this year and we could have a "do over".

[Morrell]

Not a single one!

[Dr. Pyro]

Took the wrong person on a plane ride.

Bit off way more than I could chew.

Believed what I was promised weeks ago.

[junglesmacks]

Not taking "just one more" more often.

[RedHeaven]

I was hoping it would be a No Regret year for me, but to be honest I have a handful.
My burn still kicked ass, dont get me wrong. It still "did the trick" and then some. It was not a tough year or anything.

I think knowing I cannot attend next year made me wanna push myself more this year, so that was hard.

It was hard to stay at camp in the daytime because I needed to listen to my body and relax, however, camp was amazing, the best ever, so it didnt suck...but there was so much I wanted to do out there.

I regret not going to at least one sunrise out by the temple. We always just had such a great camp burn barrel posse, but I could of took the time to do that more.

I regret not checking Center Camp at 4am after the man burned, because it turns out this jam band called Moksha that I was searching for all damn week ended up playing!!!

I regret not performing more. I lose my voice out there and am unable to sing. It sucks. Lots of my camp mates play live music and DJ. I jammed on Monday night and the rest of the week did not push myself into doing anything else. I could of done Open Mike at HOTD and I am just such a fucking failure for not.

I am always so hard on myself anyway so my BRC regret lists can be very long.

I just feel like I am not my potential I could be out there. I WANT to do all this creative stuff, but I FAIL.
I can keep up the vibe and stoke out my camp, thats about it.
I even built muscle by lifting weights and working out for the last 5 months, which helped me in my set up, and I did not have back pain. That in itself is an accomplishment, though not a "cool and fun" one.

I have a hard time with ADD in BRC and I really just felt lost some of the time. I went to some fun gatherings and made lots of gifts for others to give away, I did civil work, I had a wonderful time. I feel very emotional about the whole thing, so I guess I accomplished all I really needed to.

I really want to go back and be a lot more. I end up breaking down mid week because I am much too hard on myself. BMan seems to bring that side out in me, unlike most people. I am just a strange burner I guess.

[This Woman]

Well if you're gonna be a strange anything, strange burner is the way to go. 3 regrets for me is actually pretty short, and I credit much of that to my evolving Burning Man experience. I was the shyest thing the first year I went, and spoke to almost noone that wasn't in my camp, and had one sheet in a car door for my shade structure. My list back then would have given me writer's cramp.

[RedHeaven]

That makes me feel so much better, thank you.
I have a longer list, I just cut it short so I wouldnt drag on about it. I think about around years 4-7, regrets can be an issue because over the couple years you have thought of so many things to do and be a part of at Bman, that you start to not live up to your own Expectations in what a burn actually is. Its just like life....I find myself succeeding in things I didnt think I would, and failing at things I thought I would rock.

We can transfer the regrets into Lessons instead. I have had more lesson years at Bman and other years are more fun mess around years. All of em profound. I think this year was a light combo of both.
I think a camp can change your Burn dynamic.

I used to camp with people I didnt know too well, kind of purposely to be autonomous. However, I have a big group of friends who do the High Sierra music fest and other sierra jam fests that has always had a camp, and last year I joined. It was amazing to finally be around the crew. This year, a couple of close homies that never come to Bman actually came, so the fam fam was strong and silliness with the old buddies was to be had. That can change the experience.

So many decisions to make at Burning Man, like, who do I hang with, should I leave by myself and just jump into the wild? I ended up doing a little sample platter of everything.

On the 10 Principles report card, I get a C- in Immediacy. This is the one I struggle with it seems. Too much immediacy and I lose my senses and find myself wandering without settling. Sometimes. Sometimes I run into great things, but this year I seemed to keep gravitating towards Cliche on 4:30 and stupid Hair of the Dog on 5:30. "HERE I SEE MORE ME" glaring at me every trip back. and STUPID FUCKING HAIR OF THE DOG KEPT PLAYING MY FAVORITE NEW WAVE HITS FROM THE 80S. FUCKERS.
I sang every word with golden pride and dorkiness of geekdom. They made me feel so good, I love hearing music out there just out of a stereo in the right space.....
And I would get HOOKED at that stupid fucking bar every day! hahahahahaa
I didnt even drink much, just loved it there.
I did not originally come to BMan to find a comfort zone, I came to get away from it!! But now year 7 I feel it naturally happening. mwahahahahahaaaaaaa

Its like being in love with someone: being a little jaded would be kind of relieving in a way!!! I tried to play it so cool this year......and ended up being emotional with regrets!!! HAHAHAAA Oh how the ethereal playa sea turns ya up and down. Can't wait to go back someday.

[knowmad]

I regret only one thing. having to make choices.
Choices between awesome and awesome.
Wedding or Meet n Greet, asshat or motorboat, Bacon or sausage. Boy or Girl (turns out that a combo of these works out just fine), Daytime or Night, Pot Brownnies or absinthe (I know better than to mix these) Return to camp or hang out for anouther day, what pair of shoes/boots to wear.

yup making choices kinda sucks.

[voiceinthedarkness]

That I didn't fully heed Doc Pyro's advice in the Newbie Primer:
"There is only one thing on the playa that has any real value whatsoever and that is time. Time is very finite and when it is gone it can never be retrieved."

While many of the things my daughter and I tried around our camp worked and worked well, they consumed too much precious time for experiencing Burning Man.

Next time around, KISS (Keep it simple, stupid).

[catinthefunnyhat]

Didn't meet Simon or Dougly.
Didn't see Junglesmacks in his awesome LED suit.
Didn't get naked.
Didn't flirt.

I will meet Simon and Dougly next time I burn.
And I will see Junglesmacks in full light-up glory.
Maybe I'll get naked next time. Or maybe the time after.
Not sure I'll ever learn how to flirt.

[theCryptofishist]

I think Dougly was burning in defaultia...

[knowmad]

I think Dougly was burning in defaultia...

true that.
and he's still out there. (or atleast haven't seen him in here since TTITD.

[Drawingablank]

A great burn for me but I have a few regrets:

My main regret is intruding on a friends quiet contemplation time during the man burn (due to a combo of inebriation and exuberance, the hints kinda sailed over my head). I did wise up after a few minutes and drift away, but in retrospect I still feel like a complete asshat about it.

Not bringing more footwear. My sneakers self destructed before the gate even opened so I was stuck in heavy lace up boots all week and they were rather uncomfortable towards the end.

Shyness - while I was far less shy than last year, I still need to work on this.

[RedHeaven]

I regret only one thing. having to make choices.
Choices between awesome and awesome.
Wedding or Meet n Greet, asshat or motorboat, Bacon or sausage. Boy or Girl (turns out that a combo of these works out just fine), Daytime or Night, Pot Brownnies or absinthe (I know better than to mix these) Return to camp or hang out for anouther day, what pair of shoes/boots to wear.

yup making choices kinda sucks.

Now I want to build Camp Choices Choices!!!

[wh..sh]

NONE.
After last year's burn, I had lot of questions and few regrets. This year was a closure... a redemption. Every single thing that happened and did not happen at the burn was exactly what I needed.

[Nipple]

I don't say "Yes" to things enough.

I'm a firm "Oh, No thank you!" kinda guy. I'm coming around to that being a bullshit response out there.

"Oh, no thank you" from me means, "I don't fully comprehend this scenario, and am slightly uncomfortable with this, so I will say No in a polite manner to resolve this."

Next year I will try to change "Oh, no thank you!" to "Yer Gawddamn RIGHT!"

Except to heroin*.

Other regrets... time. The thing that turns cities to dust. I didn't make the best use of my time.

Moop: I'm fairly certain I dropped some vitamins on the ground near the man during burn night. I was unable to find them from the baggy I had them in. I'm fairly sure that they were discovered and eaten. Someone out there got fucked up on some Vitamin C (Non-Chewable). I hope it made their night.

* - This wasn't an issue, but I LIKE TO BE PREPARED.

[theCryptofishist]

Other regrets... time. The thing that turns cities to dust. I didn't make the best use of my time.

[Jackass]

That I didn't fully heed Doc Pyro's advice in the Newbie Primer:
"There is only one thing on the playa that has any real value whatsoever and that is time. Time is very finite and when it is gone it can never be retrieved."

I'm glad you brought this up because truer words have never been spoken. :sigh: I may have to post back on this thread, after my mind stops swimming and I can compose my thoughts. All hail Doc Pyro's infinite wisdom. (shouts from the mountain top). It was my fourth burn, you would think I should know this shit by now. Just when you think you know what you're doing, it sneaks in on you and says,"think again, you jackass!"

[Timezone LaFontaine]

I'm starting to have a lot of regrets now that the absinthe haze is clearing a bit. I regret not investigating further as numerous Canadian camps on my street disappeared one by one during the week. I am really starting to regret enjoying the hell out of the "Canadian style" barbeque joint I found Thursday afternoon, but fuck it was delicious. I regret not questioning the fact that there were clearly no Canadians running the place. There are just certain dots that I don't want to connect in the harsh light of defaultia.

[Timezone LaFontaine]

I just feel like I am not my potential I could be out there. I WANT to do all this creative stuff, but I FAIL.
I can keep up the vibe and stoke out my camp, thats about it.
I even built muscle by lifting weights and working out for the last 5 months, which helped me in my set up, and I did not have back pain. That in itself is an accomplishment, though not a "cool and fun" one.

Actually I think that's a very cool accomplishment! I started in regularly on one of the more boring human activities, jogging, months in advance to be able to do more while in BRC, and I think it really helped. In past years I've kinda leaned on the ibuprofen out there for back pain and I didn't have need any this year. Tres cool!

[knowmad]

NONE.
After last year's burn, I had lot of questions and few regrets. This year was a closure... a redemption. Every single thing that happened and did not happen at the burn was exactly what I needed.

didn't see you at the Burn Wooshie. kinda made my bunnie ears droop. Still love you though.