please read; short story

[Lady Zooty]

we Brighton Burners leave notebooks about BRC for contact and other messages; someone wrote this story and asked us to post it for others to read.
I hope it's as intended, words in italics are ones of which i was unsure. I'm sure it would be appreciated if it were posted on any other related site.
thanks for your time.


A short story
BRC 8.30 September 5th 2005

A young male burner rode on bike past our camp ask if we had food to spare? My first reaction was “sure, take this banana.” My hubby (62) said “why don’t you give him my breakfast too?”
The kid did not want to see us fight. He rode off. I chased him, offering my banana. Lost him.
“That is not the Burning Man spirit!” I screeched, with hoarse voice, at hubby. Then he said “you should have offered him canned fruit, we have a case (self-opening). . . . I was pissed. I kept my mouth shut. He was upset too. He asked me to load the weights we were packing. As I was working I said “you are stingy . . . you’ve got to have faith and generosity. We will always have enough! . . . Man does not live by bread alone . . . but he needs FOOD. I’m sorry I yelled” I said. “I wasn’t awake” he said . . . “I didn’t have time to think. Why don’t you try to find him? He went that way”. He pointed.
The moral of the story is;
Man is slow to learn . . . one must learn patience . . . if that kid had been more confident and less timid, and said “Good morning sir, my name is ---
Our camp ran out of food and we’re hungry.” And then not rode off but just stayed to watch our verbal fight – which was 30 seconds, but must have seemed painfully long to him. I think my hubby would have woken up enough and we would have given him all he needed or could carry.
Next time my Stevie said he would share. Water or food people ask for.
You see, he grew up poor and hungry . . . single working mum trying to feed 5 kids. He was youngest. He had to fish in Bay in secret areas to put food on table for his family. . . . So his learned attitude is protection. Food is very emotional button for him. Obsessive – compulsive.
He was virgin burner this year. We have plenty. We are rich. He works hard. We were married truly at BRC 2005 Sep. 1st at GRANDHOTEL ASHRAM GALACTICA. “‘til death us do part” will be a short season for us. By God’s and man’s grace we’ll see ya next year, BRC 2006.
We love you.

[skygod]

Wonderful tale!
I still say BM is like looking into the eyes of a stranger and seeing yourself in there.

[HughMungus]

Maybe the young man felt bad that he caused you to fight. I know I would.

[Chai Guy]

Our best lessons are learned through mistakes and fumbles. It's often not very pretty. Thanks for sharing that story.

[Paultergeist]

hmmm, i probably would have reacted the same way the kid did. asking for something is hard enough as it is, and if the response you get isn't an immediate good hearted 'yes', sticking around can be awkward for all concerned.

for what it's worth, breakfast is overrated, supper's the one that really matters, especially the last one

[ravenluv]

you people are so new testament...

i say a punishment should be exacted. reform is not enough. there must be a debt paid to society for what has transpired. in line with imaginary passages of made up brc legal code, the appropriate punishment is that the perpetrators bless the next incarnation of the city with bananas. banana daquiris, banana cream pie, sliced bananas, banana chips...the whole panarama of banana forms offered to the masses. this law needs to be enforced. i'll petition the authorities.

and then hope i don't make any mistakes...