Be there...Burning Man 2009...for a 43Things Convergence!

Tickets go on sale tomorrow. See Hawk’s entries, or visit http://www.burningman.com, for information on how to buy tickets.

even though we’re not sure we’re going to be able to make it. If we have to bail later, hopefully we’ll be able to sell them at cost (assuming ticket prices have gone up).

But now my partner has decided to go back to school; classes start in January. Unfortunately this might mean his first week of fall classes conflict with Burning Man. The exact fall 09 term dates have been hard to find, and we are holding out hope that this will still happen.

If anyone wants to get to know other burners in their own hometown, follow the link below to connect with a representative in your area. Some local groups are large and active, some are small and only get together once a year, or only connect via email. Either way, you might want to check out this link and see what’s going on in your area.

http://regionals.burningman.com/

I guess we were decompressing from real life… (since we weren’t at Burning Man this year). But it was great to get a little taste of the playa vibe without leaving our ZIP code, and to hear about everyone else’s adventures. Of course it got me even more excited about EVOLUTION 09.

We dressed in high style, made a few conquests, and shook our booties until 4:30 am, the latter of which is very uncharacteristic for this little bedbug.

The 10 principles so conveniently listed by Bill in his recent entry under this goal aren’t just abstract values. Certain of the values (especially the following) suggest that Burning Man participants get involved and offer something of themselves to the Burning Man community:

• Gifting
• Decommodification
• Radical Self-expression
• Communal Effort
• Civic Responsibility
• Participation

So, what gifts or services can we offer the Burning Man community, in exchange for the potentially life-changing experiences the Burning Man community will most certainly offer us? Think about it.

For example, the year I went some camps erected interactive art installations for the aesthetic enjoyment of other participants. Some offered food or drink, almost like restaurants or bars (except without any money exchanged, because this is a gifting economy). Some offered seminars, discussions, classes, performances, public art projects, activities, 12-step meetings, or all night raves and dance parties. Some offered services like bathing, wedding officiating, foot washing, bike repairs, bodywork, or coffee enemas(!). Some offered amenities like makeout space or workout equipment. Some groups work to put out a (semi) daily newspaper. Some broadcast radio programming. One camp put signs in all the port-a-potties advertising free emergency contraception to whoever needed it. And of course some very established groups keep the place running by lighting the lamps every evening and putting them out in the morning, protecting the natural environment of the playa, etc.

So what is the unique gift that the 43things community has to offer Burning Man? Personally, I imagine it has something to do with dreams and goals and supportive community. For example, say we had an art project with a giant metal tree, and invited participants to write their dreams on little green slips of paper and attach them, and then at the end of the week all our dreams would have made a tree bloom in the desert. (And of course we would set it on fire at the end.) Or say we had some kind of Burning Buddies program where first time burners could be partnered with others who had been there before and have an opportunity to learn from someone, like a mentorship. Or say we put up a giant graffiti wall, reminiscent of 43T’s zeitgeist page, and invited everyone who walked by to write their goal for the week on there, and at the end we could read the glorious passion and diversity of dreams. (And then set it on fire.) Less metaphorical, but… say some technical wizards could make sure we have computers and power and internet access (and somehow the dust wouldn’t f* everything up), and we could just get people to sign up on this site and hopefully come back and use it after Burning Man is over with. Those are just a few quick ideas off the top of my head, but I’m sure if we put our heads together we can come up with something even more amazing.

It appears that hundreds of theme camps for 2008 have already posted information about themselves on Burning Man’s official website. Check out the list to get more of an idea of the crazy shit that goes down at Burning Man.

When first I arrived at Burning Man a few years ago, I was greeted at the entrance by shouts of “welcome home!”

Having no concept of what Burning Man would be like, I didn’t know what they meant by that. But this time when I arrive and someone welcomes me home, I will understand how true that is.

(Pictured is the Heebee-Jeebee Healers Camp, BM2005)