A Better East Texas - Burning Man gets burned
TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - We all too often see destructive forces in nature that cause havoc. So, it is a little lifting, occasionally, to see Mother Nature pull back the curtain on the ridiculous. That is just what happened recently near Reno, Nevada in the Black Rock Desert, where the gathering known as Burning Man took place. This annual event, attended by upwards of 70-thousand Burners – as they’re known – has been around for decades. The founders wanted to start a week-long event that was counterculture that had no advertising, no typical cash-based business, only a large communal economy with radical self-expression, self-reliance, civic responsibility and leaving no trace in the event area. So, think Woodstock without any bands. They build a small city, exist for a week and then go home. You would think, these folks would be self-sufficient but in recent years, social media influencers, A-list celebrities and wealthy individuals brought their RV’s, used private air transportation, and have impacted the event, to the point, that is totally counter to the founders’ vision. Mother Nature delivered a load of rain to the dessert this year and the mud – some a foot deep – made travel and the Burning Man experience a circus. It showed the ridiculous, just how ridiculous they had become. Much of this group were not self-sufficient and they ultimately had to rely on modern “luxuries” to make it through the mud and eventually leave – driving back to wherever. So, the 20-23 version of Burning Man was a physical challenge which will probably make next year’s event quite a bit smaller.
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