On 05/04/01, argus wrote:
> > (GoTT helped me focus my priorities and become more grounded
> > than I think I've ever been. Ask me in person for details if
> > you're curious, but part of it is that I'm quite entirely
> > uninterested in putting a lot of my own energy into small,
> > intentionally exclusive events. An ocean refuses no river!)
>
> so you'll be buShackin cheese then, or is burningman intentionally
> exclusive?
First off, lemme apologize if that overexcited parenthentical
comment of mine gave anyone any weird feelings (unless they're
kinda feeling you used to get when we'd climb the rope in gym
class, in which case, go for it!) The benefit is sure to be
a beautiful thing, YOU'RE a beautiful thing, each and every
one of you (yes, even you lurking back there, don't think I
haven't noticed), it is simply that my own trip has changed.
I forgot about this for a little while, but Todd indirectly
reminded me: what bianca does at Burning Man is a big part of
what's led me to this new trip. See, we share love. Every
year, we put months of hard work into creating a space that
provides happiness to ANYONE who shows up. Most of the time
we don't even know them, we don't know their experiences until
their story shows up on a web search and we all suddenly get
warm fuzzies thinking about how we were able to create a fun
safe happy shacky environment that really made a difference
in somebody's life.
Why, then, do we then come home and immediately hide ourselves
away? I know my own "raver instincts" are partly to blame,
I've always been one of the first people to suggest tickets
and door policies and the like -- it's the only way a small,
restricted-size event can work. But why stick to small events?
On the other hand (I'm a gemini, so there's ALWAYS an "other
hand"), small events are wonderful for bringing a community
together, tighening the bonds between the people lucky enough
to get in. I can't begin to describe how valuable the little
parties at Dean's and at Jungle Love and in the Nest have
been for me, and of course Woom is the same idea writ about
three times larger.
But, well, other people can throw small private parties. I've
done it, I'd like to think I've done a pretty good job of it,
and of sharing what I learned while doing it (and I'm happy to
expound on that stuff again if anyone's interested), but now
I have the opportunity -- and, in my mind, the sacred duty --
to work on something larger.
We're on a mission from God.