Nice Peace Burning at Burning Man

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

jI just returned from a walk to the store about a mile away and found an alarming amount of trash in the street. At Burning Man it is called MOOP, noun – Matter Out Of Place; especially as it applies to Black Rock City and its Citizens. Can be anything: cigarette butts, bottle caps, glowsticks, fireworks, but is often disguised as debris, i.e., broken bits of wood, plastic, metal, glass and plants. Can also be a condition: burs, grey water, dunes, etc. Always recycle

moop, verb – to pick up Matter Out Of Place..

I decided there was no good reason I couldn’t take a walk from now on with a trash bag and moop my own neighborhood, parking lots, hiking trails and parks. Why is it someone else’s job? It is mine and it is yours. Teach your kids something to be proud of. At Burning Man the idea is to never let it hit the ground and everyone participates. It doesn’t matter whose fucking moop it is; it is bad for the environment and Burners will shame you. Trash is a no-brain er of doing what is right. The world is not your ashtray smokers. Contribute to your world. I dare you to join Stroke y Mo and be a part of my crusade! Help MoMo and her moop-a-thon! Take pictures, Tweet it, shame your lazy friends and neighbors to do the same! This is everyone's responsibility! Declare the month of February moop month. Please help spread the word. Tweet this.<https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2j2Gq6Taa-8bLVJj4Te6KmiBU5M5jvD8WyvUJYdgCBfXw59M_Jpq1PmGKAniYt2xzS3Pu8y85j8MIGpGCb2nxlqFyYfuYlpKW34EXQJnj50ySZUJZ4HSLIwpkymoT8cUG-WMcyC8tDjQ/s1600/trash.jpg>

Sunday, August 12, 2012

What I know About Burning Man

Awe Burning Man.

I am starting to feel it as it gets closer to arrival. The dust, the sounds, the lights, the sights. The new friends to meet. There is not anything common about what you think it might be, but it will be nothing of which you thought it would be. Burning man is personal. It takes you to another level of peace, friendship, expectation, hope and love. It opens your mind to people, to fun and mostly to joy.

When Ian and I went to burning man, we had talked about going for about 5 years. We finally bought tickets in January 2011, probablly at the very lowest time in our relationship. As you know I moved out of our home in May of 2011. I was determined to go without him, I didn't know how i would but my pride told me not to miss it. Even after I moved, we stayed together. We worked out a lot of problems. We talked about going, about not going about maybe waiting to go, after all we were in a fragile state of mind. We had handfuls of reasons not to attend. Late June of 2011, we had determined that we wouldnt be attending Burning Man in 2011, too much to prepare for, nothing to offer, no money, blah fucking blah blah blah. Then one day I was reading a blog about Burning Man.

And the blog http://blog.burningman.com/2011/07/tales-from-the-playa/little-stories/ came up, and this was my comment to it: NicePeace Says: July 8th, 2011 at 4:57 pm That moment you realize you have never been to the Playa was about to sell your ticket, and starting reading these moments with tears in your eyes and wondered how you could miss it again this year. I will be there for new moments. THIS is my right of passage! Peace Read that blog. It will delight and encourage you and bring you alive and you will feel it. I mean FEEL it. And reading it now, after going and after all this time I still FEEL it.

I shared it with Ian and we both agreed, there was no way we were going to miss it. We locked arms and we made it happen. We had a mission and reason and WE needed it for the sake of us. Burning Man changed me. It changed Ian. It SAVED us. Yes. It saved us from each other and from others. It taught us who we were meant to be and act on that. It taught me that he is enough for me and that others add a rich dimension to our lives. To my life. For the rest of my life I would be perfectly content to share this week with only him. It added that much to my life with him. I learned to not label people yet to trust myself and my instincts. I learned to be honest and ask for what I need and clearly state my boundaries with respect that this isnt always just about me. I learned that we all have said and done hurtful things and come through those times as better people. Not one of us is without a regret or sorrow we wish we could undo.

Burning man will push you. It will teach you. It will swallow you whole. It will give you what you didnt even know you wanted. It will take the best of you and bring it forth to your every day living. And the BS will slide away and you wont even notice or give a fuck. Burning man is a chance to discover that only YOU limit your highest good and only you know what that is. Burning man taught me respect. To respect me, you, life, love, boundries, support, community, family and that we can make a differeince in someone's world no matter how small. It gave me faith in people.

Burning Man isnt about partying in the desert, getting shit faced and being a troll. I think it is about becoming bigger than you thought you could be, to you or your spouse or your kids or your family or to a homeless person that needs help. When you give you get. I dare you to look people in the eye starting now and ask them what makes them happy. Start a conversation. Get to know someone. Step out of what you know and be uncomfortable. Your world will expand because of it.

Ian, I cant wait to be home with you again. I truly cant wait to see you experience the joy I know you have for it. I cant wait to be on the MOJP and see your pride in the gift your are giving. Being there with you is my joy and I love you.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Burning Man

Be a part of this bad ass project for burning man 2011. The Playa needs you!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Gift

I am not sure when it was that I had first heard about Burning Man. I also didnt know anyone that had actually gone to the event. So I never knew what there was to love about it or hate about it. I knew it was an interesting experience that one of these days would be something I would plan.

Wow. Burning Man is one of the best things that I have ever done. Our excitement to go was pure and childlike. As the time approached I was anxious to go "home" although I wasnt sure if call it home was for me. Burners call the Playa "home" and well, I was open to the discovery that it possibly wasnt for me.

You see, I dont like crowds. There were over 50,000 people that were supposed to attend. What if all those idiots were hell raisers?

I dont like drunks. I heard it is a constant party.

People must like fire and things blowing up. That is usually a rowdy crowd. I am not into that scene at all. I am very chill.

So Monday, arrival day, I was giddy. Oh my. I couldn't wait to get out into the place. What was this Burning Man home thingy feeling that all the people talked about? What the fuck was the big deal? Holy my Jesus, this was not an easy trip to take. The principles of BM are to be totally self-reliant. Pack it in pack it out.

Fine. But an 18 hour drive there and no exchange of money and all these party people and dirt and stuff... what will we do there?

People. You can say all day long that you have absolutely no interest in BM. Camping, dust, heat, cold, wind, fire, crowds, driving.... blah blah blah it isnt your thing.

I will tell you this. It is your thing. If you opened your mind and your heart, if you let go of all judgment, it if let life unfold, if you lived in the very moment of now. You would love it. Not just for 7 days straight. Nah. You dont want to leave. You want to stay. Because it is home. There is no place like it. I got it and I get it.

You will never meet more amazing people, the people are there for you to have an experience. The people LIVE to give you a good time. This place is the way we all want to live. It is a gift. Our playa home neighbors talked more to us then the neighbors we lived by for over three years. We shared drinks and coffee and deep soul moments. We laughed and loved and hugged total strangers.

I feel my mind has always been open. But BM opened my heart. Wide open. I am a little more patient now and a lot more tolerant. I fucking loved every moment of the experience, the sounds, the lights, the sights, the love, the gift of home.

Until Burning Man is here again, I will practice what I forgot I knew. Home is what you make it. Home is a gift.

Monday, September 12, 2011

What is Burning Man - It is Life

This was our first time to be at Burning Man. We have talked about going for about 5 years. Burning Man is a big trip and huge commitment to undertake. The idea is to be self reliant for a week. Leave no trace. This is a non commercial event, therefore there are no vendors for food or drinks (you can get ice and coffee). We prepared for it by camping in an RV, food, alcohol, clothing and gifts. We paid $280 for a ticket and wondered what we would get. We also understood that "we" are the event. It isn't like a concert with a stage. You participate to make it an experience.

BM is held in the desert and is the largest temporary city in the USA and the 5th largest city in Nevada. Black Rock City or BRC. 2011 marks the 25th year of BM with over 50,000 burners. It sold out this year. For those people that have kinda 'heard' about it are often under the impression that is a hippie, dusty, firey, sex, drugs and rave in the desert for a week.

It can be that. But it is so much more.

Burning Man is:

A Vacation