Gifting at Burning Man

 One of the philosophies of Burning Man is to be a gifting society. No money was exchanged for anything but ice – and I guess coffee at the café. There was food to be had, drinks to be had, mementos to be had all in the spirit of giving. The philosophy goes further than gifting of tangibles, it embraces a gifting attitude. A smile was a gift, a helping hand was a gift – anything that made the society run smoothly was a gift.

To my amazement, I spent a whole week within this temporary city of over forty thousand people packed into less than 5 square miles under some pretty harsh conditions at times. These people were there to have a good time, so I imagine each was partaking in their chosen form of de-inhibitors and yet, nothing was overtly obvious and the thing that amazed me most was that not once did I feel uncomfortable with the ethos of the crowd.

The gift I appreciated the most was to be able to freely walk around, be a part of the event and not just a spectator, absorb the energy of the environment and not have anyone push themselves on me. There wasn’t a single time I put my guard up or that I wished someone would go away, or quit talking or stop doing whatever they were doing. My comfort zone was fully respected without judgment, which allowed me to stretch my boundaries even more.

I like the gifting mentality. I think the best thing anyone can gift is their attitude. We are all in this life together. It may not feel like it at times, but we are one, none-the-less. Take care of your own square foot, reach out when you can, and tend to the most open attitude you can muster….it’s a great feeling.

BTW there is an organization created by past Burners that is making a difference around the world...Burners Without Borders is gifting at its highest. It started with relief for Katrina victims and has moved throughout the world helping where there is need. Check it out here http://www.burnerswithoutborders.org/ Peru has my name written all over it, maybe I can make that happen next year?