The seed of an idea planted a few years ago finally sprouted last weekend in the open wastelands of the Black Rock desert. Now it grows, reaching for the sky, nourished by fluids of creativity, winds of possibilities, protected from predatory biases and hatred by tolerance and acceptance.
When Sau told me about it in the summer of 2008, I had a vague understanding of it, but nonetheless I was bubbling with excitement to be at the Burning Man one day. The concept stimulated my ceaseless yearning to experience boundless energy that lies latent within any and all of us. And perhaps participate in the creation of something remarkable and joyous.
Earlier this year when Bubula and I decided to make it happen, I embarked on learning more about it. So I read more about it, talked to Burn alumni, saw pictures archiving the past years. The excitement grew. And still the nebulousness of my understanding of it persisted. One old Burner summed it up on the eve of my journey to the playa, "Go with no expectations and an open mind". Best advice ever.
It was everything I had imagined, everything I wanted it to be but hadn't realized. It was one big celebration- Of Freedom. Of Art. Of Engineering. Of Nature. Of Creativity. Of Perspectives. Of Diversity. Of Sexuality. Of Individuality. Of Society. Of Life.
The theme was Metropolis. There were the usual elements of urban life- buildings, transportation, sanitation, clothing, streets, homes, recreation centers and of course crowds of people. But the nature of all of this was so unusual. It interpolated and then fused with human behavior. Outside of this microcosm, the things we saw, did, or just plain observed would be weird, in simplistic of all terms. It seemed entropic at first. But a quick second look revealed a most coordinated, nearly symphonic system of a quasi-government and law-abiding citizens that kept this temporal city in order. It was feral and primal. At the same time it was pure and refined. It was like a New World Order. Derived from the collective history of human civilization, it was functional, disciplined and liberating. There was equilibrium and peace.
Never before had I experienced something so startlingly raw and intense. It was all around me, absorbing me into itself. But it felt like it came from within.
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http://justflipa.co.in/the-desert-commons. This piece by my gifted little psycho-bubble vividly articulates my whole experience. I read it every time I want to relive Burning Man 2010.
