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page when it comes to ideals and intents
anymore. There are people who will lie to
you, cheat you, throw shoes in the porta-
potties, and get so drunk and rowdy that
they start fights over the trivial. Yet,
despite the ungrateful behaviour that we
idealists put up with every year, the posi-
tive aspects of the festival far outweigh
the negative few.

| love Burning Man, but there’s some-
thing else that really rocks my boat.
Every year thousands of people flee their
“normal” lives to visit the playa and bust
loose their repressed crazy side.
Liberation, at last!

Theoretically, considering the ideals
of Burning Man, this sounds like a good
idea for a vacation. | don’t agree, at all. |
think that’s a terrible idea; a terrible way
to live. A vacation is a great chance to
unwind but you shouldn't rely on it to
keep you sane. Burning Man should be
incorporated into your life, not an escape
from it. If you’re that stressed out, or if
you’re looking for an escape route, don’t
use Burning Man. When you come
home, you'll feel mildly refreshed for a
month, maybe two, then you'll be right
back into the throes of angst regarding
your condition.

My solution? If you love what Burning
Man does to set your spirit free, then
bring it home with you. Sure, your boss
isn’t likely to bite for Operation Morale
Improvement if you tag on the words
“radical self expression,” but if you have
the basic idea of how to encourage peo-
ple to open up and get creative, then you
can package it and present it to your tar-
get in a way that will be sure to excite
people, not terrify them. You thought all
those biodiesal vehicles were cool?
Great! Now go convert yours. Satisfied
that when you left, you picked up all your
trash and someone else’s too so you
could uphold the Leave No Trace policy?
Clean up after yourself and encourage
other people to do the same. Incite a
trend and get everyone in on it. Instead
of trying to escape your life, change it.