An Open Letter to the Burning Man Community Re:2012&Tickets

[foodfightTO]

An Open Letter to the Burning Man Community

2011 was my first year on the playa, and might end up being my last, but with that thought I am resisting the impulse towards frustration and insolence. When I bought tickets for my girlfriend last year, I had no real idea what I was getting into, besides her hushed insistence that I would be “going home.” Even with the tears that pass as I type that last line, I am no longer fighting against an idea of reliving one of the greatest weeks of my life. Telling people I would be going back every year for the rest of my life quickly became muted by what seemed, perhaps inevitable.

The Great Lottery Fiasco of 2012 will go down in the history books as they greatest ‘blessing in disguise’ to ever hit the community, perhaps the world. See, as soon as the news became clear that I wasn’t getting a ticket, nor was anyone I know getting a ticket, I let a beautiful new possibility arise in me. What I take away from the week long gathering is that those who are ready to share their gift with the world and move into their own greatness, their true nature, are either given the opportunity right there and then or are given the necessary means or tools to move into that nature, in time. It is a venue for metamorphosis. It is clear, I think, to most of us that we cannot move on in this evolutionary crisis without allowing our gifts to be shared with our neighbours. I think the more we realize our true nature as individuals, we also begin to paint a picture of what our true nature as a species and as a planet is going to look like (or is starting to look like). Despite the purpose of the artists and the tricksters and the philosophers to disturb and push (or pull) us forward, we are all in this together, and no one’s gift is less important or less necessary than anyone else’s.

So my realization was very simple. It seems in the last few years the amount of people wanting to participate in a new way of being at BRC has grown exponentially. Black Rock City and Burning Man can no longer sustain the amount of people wanting to participate, and with any crisis of civilization, it must evolve or face a sort of extinction. The city is overrun by its own inhabitants and no longer being able to support its infrastructure. The citizens are spilling out, into the world around them. This is at least how I picture it. The most beautiful and organic part of the 2012 Burning Man festival will be that 40% of its citizens are newborns, freshly pressed burners. The vibration that BRC exudes, the level of consciousness and the future-to-present manifestations that exist on the playa will be felt by over 20,000 new people who not only want to be there, but in some way are being called to be there, being called to share their gifts with the world.

It is hard to know so many of us will not be sharing space this year, in that place. But perhaps this is a calling to us as well, all the burners of years past, to open our hearts and our eyes to the possibility that we have outgrown this. No longer is our purpose to be to share our gifts on a kosmic, consciousness-expanding moonscape for a single week, but in all the places we call home, for all the weeks of the year. We are the ones pulling the rest of our planet towards the ‘eschaton’ or singularity. It is time we act like who we claim to be and roll out the dusty red carpet for our brothers and sisters who may need it much more than we do.

Part of our gift is our responsibility. It is time for others to make use of the sacred space that exists in BRC. As individuals or as a species, we cannot grow without them, and they without us. It is time to step aside and allow the little kid to use the slide or the swing, to allow them to sway back and forth as high as they want, to let them fall if they need to and to watch in great awe and respect as they begin pry open their hearts and minds, discovering what you are a living example of. We are the big brothers and sisters of our world, and if we don’t start to act with that in our hearts, all the potential that Burning Man creates for “the more beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible” will remain uncultivated.

May all your prayers be answered in kisses,
cc.

[BBadger]

"Look at me! Look at me! I'm making my big statement and want everyone to read it, even though it's not even going to be sent to the declared addressee."

Good fuck do I hate open letters. I thought we were done with these ridiculous first-post soapboxes?

[Elderberry]

"Look at me! Look at me! I'm making my big statement and want everyone to read it, even though it's not even going to be sent to the declared addressee."

Good fuck do I hate open letters. I thought we were done with these ridiculous first-post soapboxes?

That's rather rude of you.

[Trishntek]

So is double posting threads.

[oneeyeddick]

Be nice to the little fella, he's all inspired and shit.

[OldSoulYoungBody]

"Look at me! Look at me! I'm making my big statement and want everyone to read it, even though it's not even going to be sent to the declared addressee."

Good fuck do I hate open letters. I thought we were done with these ridiculous first-post soapboxes?

That's rather rude of you.

That's all I got outa this post. Good fuck do I hate posers that act like they embrace burning man principles and yet still pick and choose when to apply them

[junglesmacks]

"Look at me! Look at me! I'm making my big statement and want everyone to read it, even though it's not even going to be sent to the declared addressee."

Good fuck do I hate open letters. I thought we were done with these ridiculous first-post soapboxes?

That's rather rude of you.

That's all I got outa this post. Good fuck do I hate posers that act like they embrace burning man principles and yet still pick and choose when to apply them

Eplaya snark is the 14th principle.

[theCryptofishist]

This is the guy who said:

The Great Lottery Fiasco of 2012 will go down in the history books as they greatest ‘blessing in disguise’ to ever hit the community, perhaps the world.

Now, being who I am, I was reading a book about the experience of the gulag and other repressive measures in Stalin's Russia. It sort of makes things that are that ridiculous look really small. "Look, I built a perfect world in a walnut shell! All is cured!"
Yeah, positive change is positive change... but hell, there have got to be better blessings in disguise in this century than that. And in world history...

I'm speechless.

[graidawg]

I dont want to be all new age and shit, but i do see where he is coming from, if i hadnt got a ticket (thanks mdf) i would be trying to find the blessing in it, so don't be mean to the notquiteavirgin, he wants to share how bm changed him and how he wants to share it.

tip for the op. nobody on here doesn't know what you are talking about and anyone that doesn't isn't on this site.

[pink]

I think we have to move away from the 40% will be virgins/newbies/noobs, since to me at least, it's apparent that a lot of the 'newbs' buying tickets were socks for people gaming the lottery. It'll be interesting to see how the census finally works out.

[theCryptofishist]

Yeah, all the scalpers are going to identify themselves as such on the census.

"show of hands" Who fills out the census form? I never have submitted it in 8 years there.

[pink]

Um, I do?

[theCryptofishist]

I figured. I'm not actually dinging you for doing that. I'm sorta dinging you for believing that the people who do fill it out are "representative" or anything like a scientific sample to get useful data from.

[Eric]

Yeah, all the scalpers are going to identify themselves as such on the census.

"show of hands" Who fills out the census form? I never have submitted it in 8 years there.

I think I did in either '03 or '05. Operative word is think.

[BBadger]

Lies, damned lies, statistics, polls. In that order.

[5280MeV]

Eplaya snark is the 14th principle.

Unlike the real playa, eplaya can be downright caustic.

[FeetOfClay]

FoodFightTO:

welcome to E-playa! sorry that we won't be seeing you in BRC this year (still hoping to make it there myself, somehow!)

when i first joined E-playa, my first post (an upbeat one, but in which i accidentally posted something that already had its own thread) was met with immediate sarcasm, criticism, and "shouting" (aggressive replies in all capital letters)...
I remember that I actually teared up, felt really hurt, and for a moment questioned whether Burning Man was even something I could ever "belong to".
("radical inclusion" was NOT what I experienced at first on here). i had never been on an online message board before, and had no ideas of the norms, etiquette, etc.

the only thing that made a difference was that one person was friendly in the thread, made jokes, and welcomed me.
that's when i kinda snuffled, dried my eyes, and thought, "okay--maybe i can get to know these people".

I have since learned that it's just part of E-playa culture, if you will. i still don't necessarily agree with it (to me, even being hurtful in a joking way still counts as being hurtful), but i have come to love Eplaya, and to appreciate and respect the wit and humor of people in this online community.

so, thanks for your post! hope u stick around, explore the threads, and stay connected!

[BBadger]

Eplaya snark is the 14th principle.

Unlike the real playa, eplaya can be downright caustic.

The difference in my reaction if someone on the real playa felt compelled to give his or her soapbox speech like above would be that I'd wander off to find something else more interesting.

[MisguidedMonkey]

Hey, foodfightTO,

Thanks for the beautiful words and sentiment. I for one feel your sincerity and honesty and good intentions. The playa is a beautiful and magical place for those sensitive enough to see it.

I just want to encourage you to not give up on getting tickets this year. I’m sure there will be many more that will become available as time goes by. Just keep your eyes and ears open and stay positive and you just might be surprised at what comes your way.

I find that by focusing on my art and putting my energy into creating something to bring to Burning Man to share with others always attracts other good people to me. I have learned to disregard the naysayers and the critics who don’t offer anything of value. It’s easy to put others down and spew negativity, but it takes a certain kind of strength to keep your head up and concentrate on what you know to be true in your heart. So hold on to that thought and keep on moving forward.

I wish you the best and hope to see you out on the playa.

[junglesmacks]

Eplaya snark is the 14th principle.

Unlike the real playa, eplaya can be downright caustic.

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[serpent]

Pound it.

[engineer2012]

Badger was an engineering company, went bankrubbed years ago. So Bbbbb bbadger, do you want to be identified with non existence companies? Do you really mean that you are non existence yourself??
Goog luck in real life, there is still hope

[pink]

Isn't bankrubbed what happened with the bailout?

Ok, I've been snarked and snarked back. Now I feel ok again with the eplayans. Oh, yeah, I'm an eplayan. So I have more self esteem. Isn't eplaya wonderful?

[theCryptofishist]

Badger was an engineering company, went bankrubbed years ago. So Bbbbb bbadger, do you want to be identified with non existence companies? Do you really mean that you are non existence yourself??
Goog luck in real life, there is still hope

You know, making fun of stutterers is a vile practice.

[Simon of the Playa]

even being hurtful in a joking way still counts as being hurtful

as a card carrying asshole, i take this to heart. It has nothing to do with being Hurtful.

i have tried to dull the rusty serrated blade that is my humor, but i end up feeling stifled by the seeming need to be "peace and love and understanding" all the fucking time.

i yam what i yam.

i am a Caustic, Bitter, Jaded East Coaster who cant stand the Politically correct Bullshit that seems to come along with being on the West Coast.

I'm not here to harsh your mellow, i'm not here to piss you off, i'm here to tell it likes i sees it, and i will not be karmically bullied into toning it down in order to accommodate some peoples fragile sensitivities.

call me what you want, i dont fucking care.

I AM out of your comfort zone, deal with it, or not.

oh, wait, what was this post about anyway?

i didn't read it since it was obviously drivel. Hippy drivel too, the worst kind.



ok rant over, have a happy zombie on a stick day.

[engineer2012]

Badger was an engineering company, went bankrubbed years ago. So Bbbbb bbadger, do you want to be identified with non existence companies? Do you really mean that you are non existence yourself??
Goog luck in real life, there is still hope

You know, making fun of stutterers is a vile practice.

Ok. You are right. I am sorry. Should not have done that.

[engineer2012]

I was just pissed off by the backstabbing of bbadger (two b's, really!)

[theCryptofishist]

BBadger is a caustic, opinionated guy who puts off a lot of people.
That doesn't make him always wrong, however. And I'm not really sure what you think he said that was "backstabbing". I certainly agree that "open letters" are a suspect genre, and feel that anyone writing one should not be offended when people object to the form.

[trilobyte]

I'm not sure how saying something openly/directly is in any way considered backstabbing.

However, if there's a user on the boards whom you can't stand or have just grown tired of reading, see this post for information on how you can effectively mute them.

[BBadger]

For those who don't want to read my replies, I've added a nice link to my signature to help facilitate plonking me. Who says I don't do my part to better the world?