Left Behind
28Aug2006 Filed under: GlowsticksEvery year the week before Labor Day, I start to feel a little like Kirk Cameron: Left Behind. Yes, it’s time again for Burning Man, which functions like a week-long Rapture of the Freaks … weirdoes of all sorts are sucked off the streets of cities up and down the Left Coast. Those of us who’ve chosen not to go blink with confused eyes — why is tribe.net so quiet? why are there no parties this weekend? why am I getting a third less emails? where are my fuzzy hats and arm warmers?
The answer to all these questions: Burning Man. It took them all away, including the fuzzy hats. You see if it’s a Rapture, it’s certainly not an unanticipated one, and today I brought two bundles of accessories to loan to first-timers who lack the tupperware tubs of Burniforms that all Burners seem to acquire. I have two of these tubs.
I haven’t gone to Burning Man since 2003, but this year may be the most impressive year in terms of my not-goingness. Andreas was planning on going, until his brother backed out a couple months ago and Andreas decided to come with me to Shambhala. One of my closest friends, Dawn, is a dedicated Burner known as Playa Pixie who’s been asking me since January, “Are you going? Are you going? You’re coming with me!” She’s an advanced spell-caster, which is the special way of saying she’s really good at peer pressure. But time after time I made it clear I would not be going, not be going, not be going.
Why? Here’s the short answer: I’m a miserable hag. I’ve been to Burning Man three times (1999 with Megan, 2000 with Andreas, and 2003 with a crew of LA/SF folks) and by the third time, I could watch an 80-foot-long firebreathing dragon roll by and think “Meh, another dragon.” It all started to feel silly and self-indulgent to me, and I’m a very silly and self-indulgent person and maybe that’s part of the problem. Maybe 35,000 people like me is too damn many of us to have all in one place? Or maybe I just got my fill for now. I’ll never say never, but at this point if I have $1500 to spend on a week-long vacation (and yes, somehow it always ends up costing that much), I’m into spending it going to places I’ve never been, filled with people I don’t already know. Like Shambhala. Or Uruguay. Or this year, on medical bills!
There’s something else, too: like New York City, Burning Man brings out parts of my personality that don’t need encouragement. In NYC it’s the impatience, and at Burning Man it’s the superficial social butterfly. I’m already quite an impatient superficial butterfly, and if anything I’d like to slow down a little and stop flitting around, so I didn’t move to New York in 2001 and I don’t go to Burning Man in 2006. There’s nothing wrong with NYC or BM — they’re just not where I need to be to be the person I want to be.
But part of it is that I don’t need to go to Burning Man — I get to hear about it from all the beloveds of mine who go. This year there are three people going who’s experiences I’m especially curious about. Here they are in order of my fascination:
• The French Doctor
One of our old party friends moved to France and married a Parisian doctor who once told me and Andreas, “There is no Ecstasy culture in France.” (There is, of course. Our friend has simply never witnessed it, being busy with medical school and her practice and all.) Even American freaky-deaky partier types experience a degree of culture shock upon entering Black Rock City, and I can only imagine what our French friend’s response to the delicious, hedonistic overstimulation will be. Love it? Hate it? Who knows!
• The Young Journalist
A year out of college and going on assignment with an RV full of strange men. I sent her lists of supplies and accessories and loaned her my day-glo armwarmers … none of these may help the fact that she just injured her right foot and knee (ack!) and is going in for ear surgery tomorrow (omg!) and then leaves for the playa Wednesday. If she doesn’t die of playa dust poisoning, she’s going to have some great stories. I can’t wait to read them.
• The Scientist
One of my oldest and dearest friends is heading out for the first time. He’s stocked up well, having borrowed a pair of fur-lined black chaps and matching vest from one friend, and my black skort and a fur-trimmed hat that matches the chaps. I told him that really all he needed were black eyeliner and black boots, but he’s gone all out. When I saw him today he was headed off to The Crypt to get a pair of black manties, perhaps in pleather.
Then, of course, there are the literally hundreds of experienced hedonists I know up and down the coast who are going … the Seattle temple whores and space virgins and various voracious polyamorist gourmandes, the Bay Area Hoopers and technocrati from SF, the Moontribers from LA, and just about everyone in-between. Sucked off the streets and taken off to their version of heaven. Have fun, friends! Bring back stories and photos and catalytic experiences! Because unlike the Christians sucked up into the sky, y’all are coming back down to Earth.
… Eventually.
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9 Responses to “Left Behind”
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Hey there. I'm Ariel Meadow Stallings, a native Seattleite who's written my way up and down the Left Coast. Electrolicious is where I post daily randomata, but I also write for a living. My first book, Offbeat Bride, was published last year.
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lily
August 28th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
I’m a little weirded out I’m not going this year either and I keep having dreams of waking up on the playa. I did, however, have the best time ever at Shambhala w/ you guys, so that makes up for it.
But don’t fret dear playa, I’ll be back. Oh yes, I’ll be back.
Gen
August 29th, 2006 at 1:40 am
I’m so glad you wrote this post. It sums up a lot of my emotions about BM.
I was in LA from 1996-2000, when Burning Man was smaller than it is now. I spent a lot of time with the SoCal Ravers going to raves and even helping to organize a few smaller (a few hundred people) events on our own.
The crowd that I was in at that time was already “beyond” BM, as in they had either gone in the early-to-mid 1990s, and were already disillusioned with the changes that came with growth of BM.
I never went. I do wish I had gone when I had first moved to LA, but I don’t wish to go today. I’m sure it is still an awesome event, but I always preferred smaller, more intimate raves and I know I would have preferred BM in 1996 vs. 2006.
My final thought is that while BM is probably still an awesome event, today I’d prefer to be in the wilderness with a few good friends than with tens of thousands of ‘Burners.’
Maggie
August 29th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Hear, hear. Ariel, as you know I share a lot of the same sentiments as you. I’m chagrined to observe how much Burning Man has become a “rave” for those who attend. A weeklong party party party. When to me, it was always so much more about the art and community. The loudest voices now are the ones who regard it as a big party, a string of dance events with some hot sun and a couple of bike rides in between. Ugh. Not to mention the hedonistic “look at me! look at me!” vibe that pervades so much of it. That’s great for those who are into it, but it’s really obnoxious for anyone who’s not feeling the tribal hoochie mama scene. (No offense meant to anyone, just the way I see it)
I wish I could look beyond this to see what captured my attention, the art and the people who dedicate themselves to the creation of it for the pure joy of creation, not because they want to be the camp everyone talks about all year long. I went in ‘97 & ‘98 and then not again until ‘04 & ‘05 and the effort it takes to look beyond has grown with each passing year. I just don’t identify with the Burner label as it has become.
Not to mention the fact that, as we know, there are definitely other events out there which cater to that whimsical community-based vibe, so we aren’t limited to one festival for this anymore (nor were we ever, but it took a while to notice, I guess). I’m all for diversity and I think for the amount of effort, time and money it can take to “do Burning Man” means I too would like to open up more untried vistas rather than returning to the Playa like it’s the only thing there is.
ivy
August 29th, 2006 at 9:53 am
I have never been to BM. It is def. on my lifelist. When it started this year, I shook my fist at sky and vowed Scarlett O’hara-style that I will be at BM next year (even if it means having to go alone).
I am a little weary of the scene bc of what Maggie said. The Tribal Hoochie Mama thing is so right on. Part of me feels like I will be disappointed by all the conformist non-comformists. I see stuff from SF BM people and all of them look pretty much interchangable. That def. turns me off.
Ariel
August 29th, 2006 at 10:19 am
First, credit where it’s due: “burniform” is Maggie’s term.
Second, for Ivy: I think everyone should go to Burning Man, and I’m doubting that Maggie would disagree. It’s an amazing, one-of-a-kind event and can be a genuinely life-changing experience. (I know: it changed my life!) Don’t let the fact that some of us have gone and decided we’ve learned what we needed to deter you from going and having your own experience.
That said: yes, there’s definitely an issue of conformist non-conformity out there …
leandra
August 29th, 2006 at 3:10 pm
i feel the achey yearning too…especially when i see these:
http://www.nytimes.com/slidesh.....HOW_1.html
the dry heat the last few day combined with the trickling music down my street has kept me in a state of playa flashback this week. i almost bought a plane ticket, said fuck all those responsibilities (it will all be here when i return) and just went.
though i may be a bit whatever about it at this point, i sure could use some of the reckless abandon and the step out of the real world that if provides.
Maggie
August 29th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Ivy: Ariel is correct in her presumption. I wholeheartedly agree that there’s something there for everyone to experience at Burning Man, at the very least for the first time, if not beyond that. It completely changed my life too, and the essence of what I experienced is most certainly still there - just getting a little drowned out by the other factors we’ve discussed here. But still - for someone who has never gone and is considering it, I would say, ABSOLUTELY it’s something not to be missed.
Lydia
August 31st, 2006 at 12:43 pm
First time in four years I’m not going, and watching this: http://www.current.tv/burningman, makes it pretty hard.
Vera
September 5th, 2006 at 10:50 am
I saw the Scientist while out dancing one night! I wanted to say something but was too shy. Also, what would I have said? “I’m a friend of Ariel’s and I have seen your picture on her website.” Yep, that’s what I would have said but I didn’t.