BM For The Younger Crowd

Agerose · Post by **Agerose** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:26 pm

My mom went to her first "burn" as you all call it, this summer. She came back raving about it like she had been to Heaven, and after a week of listening to her blab I never wanted to hear the words "Burning Man" again! Next summer she has hopes that me and my bro might go with her because in her mind it is just like education or even better. See BM overlaps my bro's first week of school and he'd be starting 9th grade which was a difficult year for me. I on the other hand don't know where the heck I'm going next year because I am currently a senior in highschool. ANYWAYS, I want to know about youngin's at BM...is it hard to fit in? I'm a little scared at the thought of a week in the desert.
~Thanks

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:56 pm

Don't worry about fitting in. It's not really a question of "fitting in" â€” that's what you do in Defaultia. At Burning Man you're free to be whoever you are and whatever you want to be.

I think you could do worse in terms of a learning experience. I never took a day of architect school, no architectural firm would so much as give me a second glance, but I can build my own shelter. The Playa challenges you to, yes, confront your own survival. You'll learn more in two days out there on the Playa than you would in a year out here in the Default World.

Is your Mom going to do a project for next year?

we0ne · Post by **we0ne** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:34 pm

HI Agerose,

You and your mom should hook up with the families who saty in KIdsville at BM. Here's the email: [email protected]

Great bunch of people and there are families with kids of all ages that are on the group who can fill you in on the kids scene at BM.

Cheers

Skyneedle

flipper · Post by **flipper** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:53 am

Don't be insulted by the term kidsville. There's teens there too. I think most of us would've loved to have parents that wanted to go and I loved. But having camped next to a mother-son duo last year (60s/30s), I would make a couple recommendations.

Accept that for both of you to get the most out of it, you'll need to have your own space, both physically and emotionally. Have a separate tent from your mom.

Discuss the things you aren't allowed to do legally in the real world. Either you're going to accept that your experience will probably be different than most 22-year old's in several significant ways (sex, drugs, booze) and to what extent both of you are comfortable with the other knowing about or doing in those areas.

And if she stretches the rules for you beyond what is legal, don't say a damn thing about it back home. Depending on where you live, Department of Family Services might look upon aspects of the event you'll be exposed to the wrong way.

If mom talks to the teacher, perhaps bro can write up reports on the art or LNT or other parts of the experience or do a photo essay as an "independent study" to make up the missed class time.

Also, continue to read up on what's up. The principles, LNT, and theme camps.

But if you and mom can work it out, you'll see why she was amazed...

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:32 am

Senior in High School you say? Might as well be an adult in my opinion. Why limit yourself to hanging around people your age? The great thing about BM is that everyone is "usually" very cordial. Its a good chance to hang out with people of all age groups. You could very well get into some decent discussions with people you normally would chat with in the outside world.
Read everything on the BM website TWICE!! Especially the Ranger manual/handbook. The Rangers have put together a great bunch of tips. Proper Previous Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!! Bring plenty of water and drink CONSTANTLY! Make sure you PISS CLEAR and you'll have a great time.

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:00 am

I've taken along several nieces, one did miss her first week as a senior at a Catholic school and she survived.

Heck, one year I missed eigthth grade entirely because my dad retired from the navy and we travled space available all over Europe and Japan. And I'd missed plenty of school due to military moves. Sure, there's catch up work and a strong need to communicate with teachers, but it isn't impossible to miss the first week of school and still be successful.

(Heh, although I did end up with both a GED and a high school diploma ...)

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:08 pm

The camping in the desert is not that bad. Goggles to protect your eyes in sand storms and some good cloths for the day and night (hot and cold). A bike to go around. As a high school graduate you'll want to venture off on your own most of the time if you're fairly independent. If you're open to ideas and friendly you'll be welcome at just about any camp on the playa. Be prepared for the desert but if you can handle that you'll have a great time.

psilence · Post by **psilence** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 10:50 pm

I attended this year, 2006 after much adieu about the event. I just graduated high school in June 06, so I was in the same position you will be. I attached myself to a group though, and went without any kind of parental guidance or supervision. I wrote a note to someone in PM that went unanswered. It should be taken with a grain of salt as it was only one in some 40,000 different experiences.

Hello

I just had to tell someone that the event was not anything at all like I thought it would be. I left early, on Friday morning, and I went as far as to load my things (including a one hundred pound cooler) onto the shuttlebus and had them drop me off right as the dirt road ended and the pavement began. I sat out there in the desert all by my lonely for about three hours or so, but one gentleman who was working the gate had the grace to give me a ride to Reno.

As I was sitting out there I began considering the fact that even as at least a hundred cars flowed past me into and out of the event, only 3 cars had the good will to stop and ask me if I was alright. Now I only bring this up because of my experiences wandering the great plain that is the playa; I needed no help and did not expect any because I planned to be out there for some time and had a great deal of gatorade and heatermeals to support myself until I found a ride.

There is a certain town right near mine called Orland Park, and I observed as these cars were driving past that the crowd almost seemed to be from this town, of which I am very familiar. I know it is bad to generalize but this town, Orland Park, is known to be a sort of Mecca for new wave hipsters, holier-than-thou indie groupies, smug socialites and a cadre of other types of people I would not want to be anywhere near.

My general experience of the event was one of running into very smug and very vindictive kinds of people. I was also having a very bad time with the people I was encamped with; a theme camp near 7:30 & Chance, which I would prefer not to name. I gave up early on with the theme camp and decided that if I was going to find anything I would be interested in at the event, that it would be "out there" and that I would have to leave the camp and explore to find it.

This search turned up slim to nil. The only people I seemed to be able to conjure would just tell me all about how corporations are corrupting the youth, how anyone sitting in the Oval Office is the devil, and so on. I am more than willing to listen to anyone's take on things regardless of whether or not I agree with them, as most understanding people are. However as soon as I said that I did not happen to agree the only way to save the country would be to have a planned economy, that the world was ending, or that free speech is OK so long as you agree with the crowd, I would receive a glare and would be alone again moments later.

Talking to people who have an exponentially greater cult mentality than any kind of religion or idea they protest is not exactly my kind of crowd, so at the time I did not think I was losing much, as there were 35,000 other potential friends. Of course, this is assuming I was welcome at any place I walked up to; a great many of the camps and places I attempted to stop at had people tell me very matter of factly that I was not welcome and that I should just keep on my way.

I would try, early on, to politely ask why I was not welcome into a camp, as it seemed to be very open to other people walking up and inviting themselves in. I even suggested to a few of these people that if some kind of special event was going on where only certain people were allowed in, or if it was in-camp personell only that I would happily come back some other time.

The response in all of these cases was more or less uniform: that I projected a very creepy persona, and that people like me were not welcome at any time in the given camp. I am not looking for sympathy or pity now, and I certainly was not then. I was only looking to connect with friendly and amiable people, and was systematically turned away to try again somewhere else...anywhere else.

There was a positive aspect, though, as I learned the hard life lesson that even at a place like Burningman, the vast majority of people are not the kind you would get along with. The scenery was also very nice and refreshing, as I had never been to a desert before and found it very liberating from being in the city all the time.

I am sorry to have written a novel for you here, but I felt I had to get it out to someone, and you appear to be a very understanding kind of person. Maybe I will even go again, but probably not anytime soon. If I were to attend again, I would also want to make sure to camp alone and be completely self-sufficient. Figuring out and changing whatever it is that was putting people off might also be an idea.

Thank you,
Joe

Don't get me wrong here either, there was TONS of cool stuff to see and play with, but personal interaction left quite a lot to be desired.

This might also be interesting reading for you

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... highlight=

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageism

Thanks,
Joe

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 3:14 am

Psilence it sounds as though you didnâ€™t have a real great time with the people at the event , ..I guess everyone has there own trip. I'm curious why your still on the Burning Man forum , I would have guessed by what youâ€™ve said you would have just walked away and chalked it up as a lesson learned .

Did you do the â€œ playing a muteâ€

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:45 am

Zulegoona wrote: did you look creepy, in some way?

My mind has about 100 ways to go with that statement, but I'll play nice..

Livka · Post by **Livka** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:07 am

Agerose wrote: Next summer she has hopes that me and my bro might go with her because in her mind it is just like education or even better.I'm a little scared at the thought of a week in the desert.
~Thanks

Agerose:

Your mom couldn't of said it better! and if you're little scared, this all the more reason to go, you'll have an amazing adventure.

Fitting in is not a problem, you'll be surprised how easily that comes as well as learning new things about yourself. I would recommend you and brother go with your mom, so the two of you can wonder off and explore. As for the harsh elements; this is the majic of playa, be well prepared (food, shelter etc) and you'll have an amazing time.

If I can help answer any questions, feel free to PM directly (I am not always on ePlaya).

Desiree123 · Post by **Desiree123** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 12:02 pm

I'm 17 and this past year was my first year. (I'm a senior too) I had no problem getting along! It was easily the best experience of my life! Everyones really nice and accepting of everyone, I wouldn't worry, especially if your moms all ready gone, she'll probably show you the ropes! My school gave me the time off, I just used my "planned vacation time" and it was ok. I don't know if your brothers school has that or not. I also gave a report to my teachers and related BM to the subjects they taught.

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 11:38 am

The secret I found that has worked well for a number of young 'uns in and around my camp - bring a friend or a sibling you LIKE spending time with. I love seeing things both for myself and reflected back in the eyes of others. It can strengthen your bond once home too - shared experience like this is hard to match and harder to describe to anyone else.

Worst case scenario - you chill out and play cards in Center Camp.

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:36 am

BM07...Thursday....Im getting married..woo hoo...ok thats the premise for my question...???
My oldest daughter 20 is coming up to go just to my wedding on playa,Ie...the one day pass and she's going to bring my youngest 14 with her so she can spin w/ RCB at the ceremony.
(who mind you is already a burner<never>, spins fire poi and staff, is a member of reno controlled burn, is always present during all get togethers with my burner friends at my house:which are MANY and often, and has already been playa named by rcb, "Burnerbaby") I worry less about my youngest then I do my oldest. oldest has been calling me a freak for yrs! hahaaa
Anyway...here's the question....??? What do I need to do to get them in on the ONE day pass? how much are they? Someone told me its a matter of putting a credit card down at the gate, and they charge it if they dont come back in 24 hours...anyone know the real story???

Post by **AntiM** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 10:15 am

There's no such thing as a one day pass. Full priced ticket or nothing. Since there's no tickets currently for sale, the info is not up on the main site.

I know some of the medical folks get visitors in, but that's about it to my knowledge. Who told you about day passes? Maybe they were misinformed or know something about staff priveleges unavailable to us peons.

serendipity · Post by **serendipity** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:39 pm

yeaaaahhhh........ there's no such thing as a one day pass. you can buy a full priced ticket at the gate and then leave after one day if you want.

pbmaniac2000 · Post by **pbmaniac2000** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 11:11 pm

This last year was my first year at bm. I was like you and was a freshman in college. It was not all that hard missing that week of school. Its the first week and with so many kids switching classes, dropping out, etc they will not cover a lot anyways. I missed nothing that week i was gone. Also with the way burning man is set up you get that monday off so its one less day to make up. About the parent thing. I have not had my parents come, but hung out with a couple of girls who where with parents. What they did was very clever. They camped probably a half a block away and one street up. They where in the same area, but mom and dad were not watching their every move. It helped to because the parents knew where they were camped at, but were not always over there. They did stop by from time to time.

Don't worry about fitting in. Its not a problem at all. If for some reason you don't feel like you fit in with some group or something. Just turn around and say hi to the person behind you, and you will probably get along. The great thing about bm is that there are no groups, or stereo types. You are all burners and thats it.

When you go to bm leave all of your premenissions at home. If you leave all of your personal taboos at home you won't have any problems. One of my friends who went with me didn't leave all that stuff at home. So for some reason he had a problem with naked people and you would see him squirm whenever a nude man walked by. So he didn't enjoy it as much. So leave that kind of stuff at home. People will use drugs there, and you will probably see it. So if you let the stuff get to you, you will not have as great a time.

My biggest tip though for first timers is to pack warm clothes. That was one of my downfalls the first year, and luckily kostume kult hooked me up. It gets down right cold at night. If you want to pull an all nighter you had better be preapred for the VERY cold early morning hours.

Hope that helps, if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

pyrotix · Post by **pyrotix** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:25 pm

Wow, are you nuts?!

This would have been a dream come true for me!

I asked my parents to take me to Burning Man since I was 11, but since she was not a burner, she wasn't really interested in the idea. This year (2006) was the first year I was old enough to go alone AND had enough money, and I had the time of my life.

I didn't realize it had been so long since I started begging my mom until I called her from San Francisco and she was like, "You've been dying to go since 1995!"

I can't believe I missed all those years

flipper · Post by **flipper** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 2:06 am

I saw two High School Seniors boys at Playa Info thursday. I welcomed them and when I heard their age, I remembered that some camp (incorrectly I thought it was Black Rock University) was offering High School Diplomas. I suggested it as a way to be done with it.

Yeah I doubt it was valid, but it was fun to let them start thinking that way...

Oddly enough I would recommend any family planning to burn together for the first time watch that silly little Malcolm episode. While its a broad comedic exaggeration, it does make several valid points.

1. You'll get the most of it by going your own way.
2. Your parent or child may do some stuff you don't want to know about.
3. RVs are mocked.
4. Your vehicle will get dirty.
5. You get the most out of it from what you didn't plan for...

Agerose · Post by **Agerose** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:28 pm

Thanks for all the great replies! I want to personally reply to all your posts, but school is ruling my life right now! Anyways I am definitly going to BM in 2007. Yay.

indigotip · Post by **indigotip** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:31 pm

My 18 yo son and I camped together last year and he had a great time experiancing BM with all the unexpected highs and lows that make it a unique adventure. We had separate tents but shared meals. We ran into each other while off exploring the playa and enjoyed going to things together....like Thunderdome. I introduced him to friends I had made in the past years and he was warmly accepted. He also made new friends and plans to meet up with them. Spend time with your brother and your mother but if you're feeling comfortable venture out on your own too. Good luck!

z-ninja · Post by **z-ninja** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 6:21 pm

I'm 17 and this past year was my first year.

My first year I was fourteen. All you need is an open mind, and Burning Man should be great for you at any age.

jmoralesgibson · Post by **jmoralesgibson** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:18 am

My son will be six next month, and this year will be his 5th burn. His first was when he was 16 months and if a toddler can handle the desert, so can you. Being prepared is key for burners of all ages, but especially for young-uns.

When we pulled Dexter out of kindergarden for a week last August, his teacher's response was 'I've always wanted to go to Burning Man'. She brags that she has a burner in her class. As for Dexter, he loves it. The experience allows him to expand his idea of creativity, where else would he get to wear a costume every day? The casual nudity helps balance the hypocritically-prudish standard that American culture promotes, and teaches him that there is no shame in the human form. He particularly likes the penis-art-cars, after all, he has has a penis himself.

Our calendar year now revolves around Burning Man, my son looks forward to it more than Christmas. He lives as a burner year round, wears his outfits and appreciates creativity when he sees it in daily life. We'll continue to take him as long as he wants to go. I wish my parents had exposed me to such an event as a kid, it's way better than Disneyland... definitely more real AND you get to be part of the show!

In todays harsh world of gotta-have-it-consumerism and excessive-wealth-celebrititus, getting exposed to the generousity and creativity of the Black Rock community will give you (and future generations) a sense of what's real and new kind of hope for human-kind. You'll come back with a new appreciation for the ease of daily life, indoor plumbing and your local garbage-man. It will likely alter how you manage your footprint on the world. Thats a good thing because our survival as a species depends on future generations changing how we live.

It's best seven-day life-education you'll find anywhere. Come by and ask Dexter, he'll tell you himself.
Camp Hot Monkey Sox, sock-monkey-making Workshop

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:51 am

It would be a cool thing to say youve been to BM every year of your life

BM For The Younger Crowd

BM For The Younger Crowd

"Kids"ville

!

Re: BM For The Younger Crowd

no such thing

Awesomeness!

Mom/son combo

The Next Gen of Burners