Today, let's start with a study of the word "metropolis", the history, and then move into the direct and indirect "themes" that evolve from both the ancient and modern uses of the idea itself. From there, I hope to move us into a more directed conversation on the merits of differing participant activities we can engage in while at Burning Man. The amount of understanding we have of these concepts will have a proportional affect on the experience we have at the festival.
Metropolis is derives from the greek, "mee-teer", meaning "mother" and "pole-is", meaning city or town. Literally, mother city. Let's break it down even into more basic parts.....tomorrow. WHEW! Having a family sure can distract when your trying to research and type. Not the family so much as their ages. 3 & 5. Well, till next time.....laters!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Day Trois
Well, talk about a heavily spiritual day. Of course that came after the hunt for MRE's, watching people entirely blitzed into another miserable reality unable to accomplish the simple act of pulling themselves 3 feet up the embankment while their sober friend looked on.
The churning disquiet in my heart forced me to ask the sober one standing there, who, on occasion, was kicking them, presumably to see if they were still alive if they were going to be alright. Something about the fact that they were soaking wet in 45 degree weather and an hour of failure to climb out of that 3 foot embankment. What can I say? I'm a softy.
Their sober friend abandoned them while one staggered up to the parking lot and proceeded to attempt to entering various parked vehicles (some with people in them) while he swayed around and dry heaved. These guys couldn't have been older than 20 tops. I had to do it. I had to call the cops. It took two officers just to pick up one up and take him to safety. Hope he didn't get hypothermia. It was at a skate park and all of the other kids and teenagers were just laughing and taking pics of the poor saps. No one else called for help.
That gets me to my theme that ties into the Burning Man them. Metropolis. Is this what cities do? Do they desensitize you from those all around you? To their plights and pains? Is our remote control culture creating remote control emotions? Lot's to stew on in my loopy head, but it is late, and I have a warm bed waiting for me to defile it. ; ) Till the next pondering.....laters!
The churning disquiet in my heart forced me to ask the sober one standing there, who, on occasion, was kicking them, presumably to see if they were still alive if they were going to be alright. Something about the fact that they were soaking wet in 45 degree weather and an hour of failure to climb out of that 3 foot embankment. What can I say? I'm a softy.
Their sober friend abandoned them while one staggered up to the parking lot and proceeded to attempt to entering various parked vehicles (some with people in them) while he swayed around and dry heaved. These guys couldn't have been older than 20 tops. I had to do it. I had to call the cops. It took two officers just to pick up one up and take him to safety. Hope he didn't get hypothermia. It was at a skate park and all of the other kids and teenagers were just laughing and taking pics of the poor saps. No one else called for help.
That gets me to my theme that ties into the Burning Man them. Metropolis. Is this what cities do? Do they desensitize you from those all around you? To their plights and pains? Is our remote control culture creating remote control emotions? Lot's to stew on in my loopy head, but it is late, and I have a warm bed waiting for me to defile it. ; ) Till the next pondering.....laters!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
OK!!
As you might have noticed, I had about 3 or 4 entries in Hindi. I'm not sure exactly how that occurred, but perhaps there are some Hindus out there that are really interested in Burning Man. You never know.
Today I looked up MRE's (Meals-Ready-To-Eat). I got a lot of experience with them during my time in the Marine Corps. I loved them to be honest. Just surprising that they are so expensive in the civilian world. They gave it to use in the service and yet, out here in the real world. They are $80-$100 bucks for a box of 12!
I have often missed the Marines. I went through a bad divorce at the end and even when given the opportunity to stay, I left. My reason for being there was gone. Odd how life creeps up on you like that. I have to miss it, or I wouldn't dream about being back in so often. Perhaps it was the simplicity of it all. I didn't have to make any decisions. They were all made for me. All I did was funnel the decisions downward. Anyhoo!!! I digress from Burning Man.
The discussion on the table now is what will our theme be? The overall theme is "Metropolis". So I put out the idea of the 1st metropolis, Rome. My friend said, "no, it was in Greece. Athens. Or even Sparta." My Love went even further back. She said, "Babylon". Hard to argue with that. Now to stir the pot and see what floats to the top.
This is going to be what we make of it. I can have to much expectation because I have to much expectation of what we will get out of it, but I will only get out of it what I expect and put into it. I am determined to make this the 1st thing since the Marines that I have seen all the way through. I think I let my failed marriage colour my life in that regard. If I couldn't keep that together, how can I keep anything together? I hope to work through those themes and expose them for what they are on this journey. We'll see. Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter. Till tomorrow and a more eloquent mind frames, laters!
Today I looked up MRE's (Meals-Ready-To-Eat). I got a lot of experience with them during my time in the Marine Corps. I loved them to be honest. Just surprising that they are so expensive in the civilian world. They gave it to use in the service and yet, out here in the real world. They are $80-$100 bucks for a box of 12!
I have often missed the Marines. I went through a bad divorce at the end and even when given the opportunity to stay, I left. My reason for being there was gone. Odd how life creeps up on you like that. I have to miss it, or I wouldn't dream about being back in so often. Perhaps it was the simplicity of it all. I didn't have to make any decisions. They were all made for me. All I did was funnel the decisions downward. Anyhoo!!! I digress from Burning Man.
The discussion on the table now is what will our theme be? The overall theme is "Metropolis". So I put out the idea of the 1st metropolis, Rome. My friend said, "no, it was in Greece. Athens. Or even Sparta." My Love went even further back. She said, "Babylon". Hard to argue with that. Now to stir the pot and see what floats to the top.
This is going to be what we make of it. I can have to much expectation because I have to much expectation of what we will get out of it, but I will only get out of it what I expect and put into it. I am determined to make this the 1st thing since the Marines that I have seen all the way through. I think I let my failed marriage colour my life in that regard. If I couldn't keep that together, how can I keep anything together? I hope to work through those themes and expose them for what they are on this journey. We'll see. Mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter. Till tomorrow and a more eloquent mind frames, laters!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Day One (exactness to come later)
Well, we have decided to go to Burning Man. This is an enterprise that I have DREAMED of since the mid-'90's. Within a week, I got my wife's consent, found a house/babysitter for a week, gotten vacation approved, and am about to sell my 2008 Zuma, 80cc Zuma scooter to a dude I met at a liquer store who is a scooter fanatic for the cost of the vacation. Now I'm watching all of the opinionated youtube videos to get a sense of what we need to take. How we need to prepare, and how we want to be participants.
Spirituality is a funny thing. It opens doors when you are on the right path and slams them shut when you aren't. If anyone is out there and is interested, read this. I'll give you the low-down straight from the neo-hippie mouth. I've got a lot a wanna get out. The hope, the pain, the struggles, and the dream. Ah! The dream! Let me know if you see it too. Signing off day one.
Spirituality is a funny thing. It opens doors when you are on the right path and slams them shut when you aren't. If anyone is out there and is interested, read this. I'll give you the low-down straight from the neo-hippie mouth. I've got a lot a wanna get out. The hope, the pain, the struggles, and the dream. Ah! The dream! Let me know if you see it too. Signing off day one.
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