An old friend

Yesterday, I went to the pub for wing night with some friends. Surprisingly, an old friend showed up that I had not seen in 3 or 4 years. He just came back from working abroad. We caravaned together to Burning Man in 2002 (photos by Jon Ross) for the Floating World. That year had a great theme--beautiful art, vehicles and people. First year I had a kitchen. The year I met Camp Stimulation.

The Funshiners camped next to us and spun records the whole time. At the end of the week, a neighbour with a megaphone came over and gave thanks to the DJs.

I remember drinking rocket fuel (gatorade and vodka) at Damnsterdamn. Then I danced (lap) a Jewish Santa in the window. Rode the Totoro Cat Bus late at night around the city. During the week, I saw a beautiful sunset after a storm (scroll down on linked page).

That year, I saw my first temple burn: the (Temple of Joy). The temple burn was awe-inspiring. Everyone was quiet. Not a sound except for a beautiful voice singing Ave Maria. (Sadly, last year's temple burn was filled with various, annoying background noises.) In 2002, all one could hear was the sounds of the crackling fire, tears, sobs, and people yelling out I-love-yous, and I miss you, and Thank-yous. So moving. I burned some old items for my grieving process.

That year was a tormenting year for me. I had a lot of internal things I was dealing with that year. Grieving is a slow process. The burns I have attended have helped me grow, mature, learn and evolve. I am grateful to my burn experiences and all the people I have met. Those friendships and experiences bring joy and fondness to my life. However, in 2003, I skipped the burn and headed off to Australia by myself. First trip abroad. Glad to touch base with a friend who was passing through on his trip around the world. The solitude and adventure helped bring me back up to speed.

Anyways, it was great to see an old friend again and catch up. Helps you relive and remember the great memories of the past, and remember how you survived the difficult and painful ones.