My BURNING MAN American Dream
 

I took a break from the exciting new stuff at FLASHCA$H to attend Burning Man.

It was my 11th year. A saw a few GFYers, but sadly, missed RAND this year. :(

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I'm still sorting through the experience, but the political climate I returned to has done a number on me.

I wrote the following to clear my head. It's long and I doubt many will read it, but I wanted to share regardless. Freedom and Liberty are important to pink-haired freaks as well as ANYONE on the fringe.

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2008 Burning Man was AMAZING for me.
I still have so much to process.
Unfortunately, the decompression is coming TOO fast and furious this year.
The thick cultural smog is more than I can handle.
I spent a week basking in the deepest personal truths singing from inspiring individuals.
Now all I hear are the most sophisticated manufactured phrases spewed from political conventions.
It is WAY too abrupt for me.
?Decompression? is the term Burners give to that abrupt shift from a love-fueled community to the normal interactions of regular life.
And it is always hard.
(My camp mate Nanda was shocked when, on the ride home from his first burn, the Taco Bell cashier would not accept his gift of a beaded bracelet and refused his hug. ?But, dude ?you brought me *tacos*!!?)
The timing of this year?s presidential election has created an unusually harsh shift for decompression: The dust in the air has been replaced by a heavy political odor.
It would *seem* a more natural transition since the theme of this year?s event was ?American Dream.?
But so far, that is not my experience.
What I saw in the art and people of Burning Man was the very BEST of America.: Intense Individualism, a profound value of Liberty, and the exaltation of Freedom.
What I see in the political media landscape feels combative, manipulative, and deceitful. Is it just me?
To be truthful, I was not a fan of the Burning Man theme when it was announced. How could something I find so sacred, dirty itself with the shallow realm of politics?
But I?ve discovered that The American Dream is very different than politics.
In fact, I am starting to see that it is the opposite of politics.
The American Dream is about creating a system that defends my rights, regardless of the opinions, beliefs, and faith I hold dear.
I think the founding fathers would be Burners.
I say that without any intention of humor.
It is easy to compartmentalize Burning Man into a caricature of faux fur, dance parties, and fire.
Perhaps I am guilty of promoting this type of perception.
But being a flamboyant pink superhero was what my dream looked like.
Through my creativity, my mom?s crafting skills, and a community?s support, I was allowed to make a ridiculous dream real. What is amazing is that, in that ridiculous state of freedom, I have been able to get in touch with things far deeper and profound.
Things like love and spirituality. Things like honor and respect.
I?ve always said that the overall attitude at Burning Man is, ?You can do whatever you want that doesn?t cause harm to others. I may not choose to join you, but I?ll certainly hold your coat while you do it.?
If you tried to turn that sentiment into legalese, I think you?d get something pretty close to the Bill of Rights.
It seems to me that The American Dream is about protecting Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
NOT defining what any of those things looks like.
PROTECTING.
America?s Founding Fathers wanted to guarantee us all a canvas and access to paints.
Because life, like art, can only be judged by the one who lives it.
How we live our lives is the most sacred thing we have. And the Founding Fathers knew it. They fought for it. They bled for it.
Thomas Jefferson said that, ?The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.? I hope with all the love in my heart that we find a way fuel our dreams with a different type of manure.
Lord knows we have a surplus of shit to burn.
I just hope we have the vision to remember what is sacred, and what needs to be destroyed.
Because, come November, if election fraud and corruption fill the void of our deflating Hope, I?m not sure what will happen next.
Will the status quo continue to allow a place for the fringe?
I don?t care if I?m in control, embraced, or even liked?so long as the right to be free from persecution remains self-evident.
All I want is Life & Liberty. And to be allowed to choose my own path to happiness.
I hope this is the American Dream our candidates fight for.
I hope this is the American Dream we all fight for.
Burner & Patriot,
-Halcyon

That was a pretty amazing write up dood.. Sounds like the Burn was a resounding success?

Yeah, it was amazing. My camp rocked so hard...I may be bruised forever.

Great post Hal. Spot on!

I just talked to a friend of mine that has been going to BM for as long as I have known him (1987).

The one thing that struck him is that no one seems to go to the hot springs any more. He said that used to be the party spot, but this year they had it all to themselves.

Any idea why that might be? Has BM become to commercial?

Cheeeeers man!

I hope everyone reads what you wrote and I to hope for what you envision.

i read your words slowly to take it all in because i know you and i knew they would be profound. your sentiments, concerns and ideals are shared my friend. i'm glad you had another amazing experience at Burning Man.

awesome post hal

looking good..........

If it is the ones I'm thinking of, BM asked people to not go. The size of the event was putting a huge strain on the environment.

I've never been to the springs, actually.

Thanks Hal

very nice Gonzo style writing :winkwink:

Love your writing Hal, peace, hugs and love my friend ;-)

heh heh. Our whole camp was HST themed. I'll try to write it all up. it was pretty amazing (we got the blessings of Ralph Steadman, HST's illustrator)

Anytime i see people carrying on the HST tradition...it brings a tear to my eye :thumbsup

Nice pictures!!

Steadman made this for our camp:

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Many of us are getting it as a tattoo

“You can do whatever you want that doesn’t cause harm to others. I may not choose to join you, but I’ll certainly hold your coat while you do it.”

Now this should be what government is about. Hell, they don't even have to hold my coat.

They want to tax your sleeves and complain about the color. ;)

:1orglaugh

They will find a way to tax the color too. :)

Sweet cool pics

Thank you for sharing your thoughts .. emotional and profound .. I felt every word.. thank you

I agree! Please don't let political BS spoil your fun. :thumbsup

I never heard of Burning Man, so I googled it and found their website and browsed around checking out pics and stuff and WOW there's so many cool art and displays.. I want to go to the next one.. looks fucking awesome and wicked fun

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Awesome shot!

You continue to impress me ..... thank you again!

Its a dream of mine to be @ Burning Man Fest one time... ;)

Halcyon,

Your perception is a very nice one.
Congratulations, really. I am just a guy from the (eastern) middle of EU but these lines made something awake in myself... After two tears of slumber I need to take acid again. Until autumn eats the rest of the sunshine.

With Deepest Respect,

Matyko, an acidhead daddy from Hungary

That's a great pic!!

You really do have an interesting life. Must be fun !! :)

I don't believe the world would rather hug me than hurt me..

Nothing I have seen has ever shown me that.

Your words are deeper than you think.
Careful how you view the world...it IS that way. :)

Burning man was an unforgettable experience! and of all people, I knew you would be there and I knew somehow I would see you amongst 60,000 burners. And there you were! It made Burning Man even more of a reality for me to see you in the surreal world of a neon ship picking me up in the desert.

Thanks for your profound words Halycon- I am still finding the words to encompass my burn experience.

beautiful pictures! xo

usa doesnt deserve you.

extremely poignant. i haven't been, but this testimony - along with several others, have me convinced that i shouldn't let another year pass without experiencing burning man.

and... steadman?!? just... wow. cheers man

:) I do enjoy life. And I work hard to focus on the good stuff.

It was so great to see you at "home"!!!

Can you see how now how it could impact a life so much?
And how there really is no way to convey it beyond experiencing/living/giving/surviving/loving it yourself?
Ahhhh... It is HARD to return from such a place.

That post made my day :) Thanks for inspiring me Halycon. BTW did you get a new pink bike ?

I made a new one...the greatest bike in the universe... SNUFFLEOCTOBIKE!
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