A few words as I venture into the dust again.

As I begin my 4th trek out into the dust of BRC, I thought it would be appropriate to say a few words in parting.. 

The first being:  Thank you.

Thank you to all those who voted for the New BOD members, including myself, to guide this grand new adventure we are embarking on at Burn2. While the process and the path is still near the beginning, although it already feels like we've been working for years on this?, I look forward to returning to listen to where you want this all to go and be your advocate at the many, boring, mundane, tedious meetings ahead.

Thinking of that, it reminds me of a video from the Burning Man archives…

Back in 2013 at the Burning Man Global Leadership Conference, Larry Harvey talked about how the 10 Principles were present at the origin of Burning Man, though they had not been conceived, let alone articulated, and why they were developed in 2004. He said how all 10 principles are required: “Nothing less will do.” If the principles don’t talk with each other, they become dogmatic. He also talked about the contradictory process that all Burning Man groups eventually go through: the 10 Principles emerging out of the lived experience of creative chaos and hard work people engage in to build this culture together. It really is a good speech to watch.

Larry also talked about his hat and the mystique around it. That, how people would want to wear it for a moment, and when they did it had the property of making everyone who wore it look good. Though when he really looked closely the hat seemed to make everyone else look better other than himself...

In the end of the speech, he talks about how some people think Burning Man just happens, but in reality just like all events it takes hard methodical work of organizers. Work that can sometimes be difficult and sometimes may seem unnoticed. However, in the process, it reminds us of and gives us a purpose greater than ourselves.

So thanks to all those who said that I would look good in this hat for a while… Personally I still think it looks terrible on me and to a degree I hope to keep that mentality. Because, not keeping that in mind makes it all the harder to tell when it’s time to again pass it on, to someone else to wear, and say to them:

“you look good in that hat”

Well, time to head out,  I’ll be thinking of you and looking forward to seeing all of you again soon.

~Zoren Manray