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11am: Kenza’s light brown shoulders are turning pink by the strong sun. “I need sunscreen soon” “I do too,” I say. A
minute later we see a woman spraying sunscreen on anyone passing by. These moments of serendipity are somehow
common on the Burning Man desert. Apparently a hair-in-cornrows, sage-burning hippie is my inner self, but it took coming
to the desert heat and dust to be released. My free spirit has put aside any usual skepticism and I happily embrace such
ordinary encounters as magical and beautiful.
1pm: Kenza and I hop on our bikes and ride deep into the 4,000 acre Playa to see “Embrace” a giant 72 foot high sculpture
of a man and woman about to kiss. It is made entirely of wood. There’s a crowd of Burners on every side of the sculpture.
Women are in handmade costumes of Indian headdress and turbans, zebra capes, and men with Native American face paint.
Grandmothers are naked dancing in the dust holding on to their grandbabies. I feel I have time traveled to Woodstock in the
60’s. It’s hard to tell if this is real or fantasy. Out of nowhere a huge dust storm travels across the playa. Sand is all around
and everything is blurry. Instead of trying to fight it, Kenza and I just sit down in the sand. The sky is fire red and tiny
sand tornadoes are making formations in the wind. The desert is coming alive. The women continue to dance, swirling
around barefoot in the sand, laughing. I feel transported into a Wizard of Oz film, but it feels good to just sit inside the
storm. At this moment I have no cares in the world. As if I needed another sign, a giant art car shaped like a dragon passes
by playing my favorite song by Disclosure “Help me lose my mind”. I can’t help but smile. I’ve never had so much fun
going crazy.
13 THE
CONE - ISSUE #3 - AUTUMN 2014