Black Rock Burn
Photo by ra hirschi at Burning Man 2005














The tribe is gathering on the desert about 100 miles due west of here. The local grocery and dry goods stores are jammed with people taking advantage of their last chance to buy provisions.

Burning Man starts today and I'd like to be there. Every time I see all these folks go through town it makes me want to join up. In many ways these look like my people. You can see it in their eyes, they still very much believe in possibilities, and so I'm drawn to them.

About a week later, as they all stream back through town, and look like people that truly have been lost in the desert for weeks, usually covered in a deep layer of fine playa dust and ash, their bikes which looked so nice on top of their cars a week ago destroyed, tents and gear all trashed, I think, well I made the right decision to avoid the whole thing, then you look closely at them, and their eyes are sparkling, and they are still grinning, and only looking for a hot meal and five or six hot showers.