Understand that your single greatest moment was subjective, and shared by thousands of others whose subjective experience was not quite the same as yours. If yours was anything like mine, it was interrupted by a variety of things, this one has just been singled out (in exclusion of safety hazards, several other art cars that blasted music, rude people, etc.), and singled out because of the lack of perceived artistic merit and a preconceived prejudice . That it was ‘Freebird’, specifically,  bothers people. They hate the song, its cliched to hell, and an anthem for all that they hate. I agreed, once upon a time. But, once again, my thoughts have been challenged and changed by experiences at or related to the  Burn.

Personally, the reverent distraction created by the DPW this year is still far overshadowed by the irreverent annoyance of things like the wave a few years ago. But I also realize that it only gets to me, if I let it. The year I needed the temple, I couldn’t even have told you what was going on around me, much less what someone did that might have annoyed me across the ring.

Understand that those of us who stayed silent despite our loss and pain did not do it because we didn’t feel we were entitled to self-expression.  We did it because we respected those around us as human beings.  And in the middle of this we had to be reminded, loudly, that we were indeed in the presence of a handful of jackasses who couldn’t see past their own self-entitlement and respect those around them as equals.  The single greatest moment of unity, empathy, and community of the whole week was interrupted by people telling us that they were better, more entitled, and more important than us lowly participants.

I’m very sorry DPW lost one of their own.  I just wish they had chosen to remember him and express their grief in a way that didn’t detract from the experience for others.

Yes, the DPW parties loud.  In a community where tens of thousands of people are used to seeing themselves as the ones who party loud, who flout the rules and show everyone else how radically individual they are.  That’s what the rest of the week is for.  During the temple burn, *everyone* can shut the hell up for half an hour and prove that they’re not yahoos and deserve to be there.  That *especially* includes the DPW, who are supposed to exemplify a certain set of burner characteristics.

Personally, I hope that crew never receives an art car license again.  Let it go, and every year some group who sees themselves as the more worthy, superior burners will do it because they think their loss entitles them to it.

That said, my best temple burn memory was when someone (space cowboys I think) played Ave Maria over the silence a few years ago, so who knows.

  I regret that my initial reaction to this was an angry one.    Anyway, it’s not a question of exclusivity.  It’s a matter of reverence.  The power of 30,000 people sharing a long moment of silence is the most reverent, powerful experience I have ever had.   The 2009 temple burn was the most humbling moment I have ever had in my life, and maybe have any right to expect to have.  Almost no one made a sound the whole time.  

As for my reasons for building the temple? The short answer is always that we built it for you. I personally find some joy in the fact that there are very few places in our culture to grieve outside religion, and we can provide that. The Temple of Joy burn in 02 was extremely cathartic for me at a time when I needed it – cathartic in a way I had been unable to find/express for almost a year, and the release was unbelievable. Knowing that there is a way to help people that feel like they will never be okay again is worth it every time.

I have lots more to say, but I don’t think any more division is what’s needed.  I sincerely hope our friends in the DPW got the closure they needed.

I have no clear opinion on the Freebird issue. It surprised me and seemed out of place, I admit, but I didn’t give it any real thought (although I am very sorry to hear about the DPWs profound loss). I’d rather focus on the amazing playa gift I received just after Freebird finished. Somewhere behind me, a boy started to sing. His voice was clear and reverent and stunningly beautiful. He soothed everyone around him, the agitated people who couldn’t see, the overwhelmingly drunk girl who thought it was a rave, and the sea of people calling out names and “love never leaves.”

In that moment, I was grateful to be seated exactly where I was. I took deep breaths, and watched the dust devils, and thanked the powers that be that I didn’t have names to yell this year.

We’re all on the same side here, although we mourn differently. We’re all just looking for a beautiful place to say goodbye, and hoping that the fire burns just a little longer in hopes that by the time it goes out, we’ll heal.

(PS. They really should consider putting a designated silent/seated area somewhere around the Temple. That would solve a whole host of problems.)

The temple has become an important part of Burning Man, sure, but even the temple should not be taken too seriously.  It used to bother me when some people would start being noisy or do stuff I would consider dumb, but in the end, you can still purge whatever it is you need to purge when the temple goes up in flames.  Some in the DPW decided they needed the music to help.  So be it.

DPWs entitlement stopped being cute years ago.

And having worked closely with David many times, I can say that you guys stepped WAY over the line with this one.

Trust me when I say if the goal was disruption, far more disruption would have occurred.

Not Cool Guys.  Not one bit.  Joey had “Never Betray” tattooed on his chest.  What part of that do you not understand?  Sure, DPW has a hard job.  To say that because you’re the DPW you can do whatever you want is extremely self-centered and not even a little okay.   

 (* Extremely Invested = worked on this year as well as the temples in 2003 and 2004, and designed and lead the 2009 temple.)