Recently in about society Category
We like things a certain way. Everyone does, some special thing they require or desire or lust after or make sure of is always at the ready, be it physically on hand or in mind. What does it mean that we need certain things or feel that we need things in a certain order or in a certain way or quantity to be happy? One, two, three or once. How much is enough of what you want? How much is enough of what you need? Is it OK to only do what you want? Is it OK to put aside what you need?
Reality does kind of suck. Money, traffic and petroleum seem to rule the day. It makes me sad to know that this is not the only solution. Waking up to the challenge of keeping beverages cold never seemed so good. Knowing that I needn’t keep a schedule or worry that mine hinders others. Walking around in what I feel comfortable in and resting at a burn barrel after midnight. Getting in touch with how the moon moves across the sky. Knowing how rain really smells. Oh how I miss these things!
I know it might seem as if I obsess about this whole Burning Man thing… I do. It changed my perspective on a system that I already was skeptic of. I see just as in the film from the early 20th Century, METROPOLIS, that we are part of a breathing machine.
American Legion, Lombard Illinois 2005
Lombard Illinois 2007
This is just another side note in the history of a small village. Lombard is just like any other place in America. Things change and buildings go on to live a different purpose. Sometimes buildings are removed and others they are saved. This one was saved. Recently in this country it seems that many of them are not deemed worthy of saving.
It was an odd experience… returning to the real world after burning man ended. After a crazy 2 day train ride followed by 7 days in the desert my concept of reality was a bit shot. At first the only part of modern america I saw was what greeted me on the side of some road outside of the Sparks / Reno area.
I rode from the burn to Reno in the back of the moving van because there was only two seats in front and we did not want to get pulled over. Having not slept the night of the man burn into sunday I was quite tired from my journeys and excursions in the desert. So, after sleeping in the back of the truck with 10 bags of garbage I woke up after what was about a 7 to 8 hour journey from our camp. Greeting me when the truck door opened were two native american fellows, the girls and a large trailer with a hand painted sign that read “TRASH”. I gladly helped bring out the 10 bags and we handed the guy $20… Our part of ‘leave no trace’ was completed! I climbed back into the truck and waited out the final journey into Reno and woke up at a 7-11 convenient store which was obviously visited by many other burners heading back to reality.
It is so easy to be alone in a modern American city.
I have this interesting idea that has been floating around my head for a while. I envision some far away bazaar type affair with people bustling and interacting then I envision an American city… Mostly empty streets and if the street is occupied it is by cars not by pedestrians.