(Sept. 2007, Reno, NV.--on the road, back from my first Burn.)
I have just finished dyeing my hair blue in the Peppermill Casino hotel in Reno, Nevada. Temp: 91 degrees outside- Time: 10 am- State of Mind: Cuture shock. Hours of sleep in the past 24 hours: 12
Average hours of sleep per night at Burning Man: 3
Before the 12 hours of sleep only interrupted by small meals and bathroom breaks I had been playing in the desert with only about 2-4 hours of sleep a night. The days were at least 100 degrees if not more and full of afternoon dust storms that would white out all peripherals leaving you with yourself, your goggles, and only 3 feet in front of you to see.
The heat and dust were harsh, yet cleansing. After day three you no longer care about how clean or dusty you are… you submit yourself to the vastness of the space you are in, and the deadly midday heat that humbles you.
Here you are neither rich nor poor since money is not a factor. There is no money exchange among people in Black Rock City (accept for only coffee and ice if you really need it) You are not judged by how much you make, or your financial position in society…what may only matter is how awesome your costume looks to you, and if it’s what you truly love to wear if you could wear it every time you decided to celebrate. In the city we give gifts without hoping to receive something in exchange… or we give gifts or help in gratitude of generosity and kindness.
For those of you who know nothing about Burning Man you should research it. For those of you looking for a once in a lifetime experience that you will find nowhere else that will shock you, cleanse you, and allow you to celebrate…I highly recommend you look into it. It is found in a city that only exists for 7 days a year, growing to become the 5th largest city in the state of Nevada. It is a city where your money is no good, where you can be whoever you are, dress however you want, and be accepted by a society that is built on openness that welcomes you.
My week began in loneliness… arriving late Monday night on the Playa where Black Rock City (the city and prehistoric lakebed where the Burn takes place) I pitched tent alone… the first in my camp to arrive… then I jumped on my bike at sundown, face painted like a clown, corsets and all-and explored the illumination sculptures lit up in the vast darkness of the desert.
The sky was my first friend, leading me along in the darkness as I experienced the wonderment alone. As the week progressed I began to collect a merry band of traveler and friends to explore with: Maddy and Andre, dear friends of mine I met while couchsurfing in Boston the trio of us we inseparable, and their hearts are my home- Patrick, a Canadian couch surfer with a wandering heart and a vibrant spirit, I would wander the desert with him and kiss under the stars and illuminating orbs of light, and fireballs as we passed them by- Micheal, a healer who helped balance my chakra points and allowed me to mediate and reflect on internal anger and pain, and to honor my feelings and to forgive myself. He was my guide, and a trusted friend. Together we balanced each other and taught me what unconditional love meant without possession and without physical intimacy.
Some of you may ask me if I had fun- yes I did, immensely. However “fun” is not the reason I went. I went to end an era, to burn things I plan to leave behind, to say farewell to friends of the past, and anger of the past, and to forgive myself, and prepare for my journeys to come. I came to burn my sadness, and to honor myself.
This experience has opened my eyes, made my heart humbled, and created amazing bubbles of thoughts in my head concerning revelations on humankind, kindness and the life force of the world. Do I sound a little Hippy-Dippy-New-age? For those of you who know me I am very pragmatic, practical and logical, and over analytical, but the energy and healing that the desert shoved into my soul while stripping me down of many other social factors has stirred something greater in my awareness of mortal role in this reality and my interactions with people.
I cannot explain to you what happened in the desert to me this past week among the raves at night, the interactive art, the bouncy castles full of naked people, the tantric orgasmic breathing workshops, the hair-washing camps, the revolving martini bars, the geodesic domes full of shag carpeting, the giant 3 person swing covered in dildos, the pleasure palace sex tents, the trampolines, the crazy art cars, the dust storms, the massages, the healing tents, the monkey chanting, the lessons of unconditional love, the swinging hexagonal canopy bed with the starlit view, and the circus performances and carnival people I be-friended. All of the memories listed above are small snapshots of the building blocks of my inconceivable week of evolution.
For those of you who have written me… thank you… for those of you who haven’t… thank you for reading my writings. My apologies that this email was a touch longer than I had anticipated, regardless I hope you all are well wherever you are mentally and/or physically. I send my love, and will see you soon!
I feel a world away from where I was when I left Santa Fe. Now I this small hotel room I begin to pack my bags for my next journey to another kind of home. Next stop: Olympia, WA, the smell of the South Puget Sound, and the shade of evergreen trees…
Wheeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mellington Cartwright III
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