Burning Man 2009

The starry night sky reluctantly allowed a dilute light to spill over the horizon - we raced on our bikes across the playa toward the wooden temple, eager to get there before liquid gold filled the east. We had spent the entire night dancing to music that shook our bones, and now it was time to salute the sun with thousands of other creative, loving, searching beings who temporarily called Black Rock City home.

I cried upon first seeing the temple - so many feelings coming up at once - the beauty of the structure, the pain of letting go when it would be burned that night, the thousands of prayers written on its wooden walls, the sense of community I felt with others, the loss of loved ones in my life, and the gift of being totally authentic for the past week.

Everyone knows Burning Man is where people go to get high and have sex, right? Well, I'm not saying that's not happening - it is. But it's so much more than that. You can party anywhere. But in my lifetime, I've never been anywhere that so completely allowed the radical self-expression that Burning Man does. There's no money allowed, so a "gift economy" is created. But that doesn't mean people go around saying, "Hey, I'll trade you this box of cookies for that bottle of juice." No, instead, people approach each other knowing that each person is unique, an opportunity to connect and grow. And often once the relationship has been established, one person will "gift" the other with his or her special treasure. One of the best physical gifts I received this year was from a talented electronics artist - he made me a little blinky necklace that responded to different sound frequencies. It made dancing even more fun, and he was uniquely suited to create it.

Even more wonderful though than physical gifts is the way people give of themselves. Since personal transformation is the bedrock of Burning Man, I knew I wanted to open my heart to change, so I wandered over to the "Evolutionary Temple" tent. As I approached, I could hear hundreds of people repeating different affirmations such as "I listen to my intuition even though I sometimes fear it will mean changing my life" and "I forgive my mother for doing too much and not taking care of her own needs." Most of the participants were crying - this work goes so deep. The teacher gives of herself because she knows how powerful and essential it is for us to be ourselves, and she is creating an organization that helps veterans express themselves fully and heal from the wounds they've endured. What an inspiration.

At Burning Man, there are no cars unless they have been "mutated" - meaning that unless you have decorated your vehicle for the purpose of beauty and radical self-expression, (and registered it with the Department of Mutant Vehicles) you can't drive around Black Rock City. That means that 50,000 people are riding around on pimped-out bicycles. The sense of freedom is incredible. And since we've all agreed to be part of the community, there is no theft. I left my wallet, phone and camera in an unlocked bag next to my tent all week with absolutely no problems. This led to so much love and trust for every stranger I encountered during the week.

Many times people will say they're incredibly grateful for an experience they've had. In this case, I can say with no hesitation that I am so grateful for the existence of Black Rock City and the privilege of helping to create the community. I'm inspired to do more and look forward to elevating my contribution in the coming years.

Love, Love, Love
-Harmony