Another Anxiety Dream

Days Until Container Loading: 6
Days Until Launch: 18
Days Until The Man Burns: 26
Days Until Broke: -62



It happens every year before I go to the playa... I have Burning Man anxiety dreams. I wake up in a cold sweat, disturbed and upset. The dreams must happen because there is so much effort, thought, and money going into the planning and preparation for this event, and we all want it to go perfectly. I don't think I've ever met a burner who has not had these anxiety dreams.


The most common subject of my dreams is that I have arrived at Black Rock City without most of my gear; costumes, a tent, food and water, etc. Another recurring dream is that the man is accidentally set on fire prior to the event or towards the beginning of the week.


Last night, I had my worst anxiety dream yet. As usual, I arrived without some critical supplies (my brand new pink goggles among other things). Whatever. Been there, done that. I got to the playa a couple of days early when all the real hard core burners are there building and preparing for the week of mayhem, but in this dream, I had already been beating there by hundreds of thousands of "tourists". Tourists are the lame-ass fuckers who come to Burning Man only to be a spectator. They come to check out naked chicks, do drugs, and leave trash everywhere. They suck, and I hate them. I was standing on the Esplanade completely surrounded by a mob of them, and the sea of tourists stretched as far as the eye could see. I was seriously considering going home, but what a horrible thought!? To get all the way there, to the middle of freaking nowhere, after all that preparation and money spent, just to turn around and go home. Devastating.


Even though it was just a dream, and I concerned about this year and the future of Burning Man. We've been seeing more and more references to our little secretive event all over the television and in movies. In an episode of American Dad, the family ends up at Burning Man. In Robot Chicken, Bill Clinton and Snoop Dogg hijack Air Force One, and taunt W back at the White House, "We're going to Burning Man, woooo!" Also, in "Knocked Up", they make fun on their friend's scruffy beard by asking, "How was Burning Man this year, dude?"


It used to be that when I mentioned Burning Man to people, they had never heard of it. As time has gone on, more and more people seem to have at least heard of it. I guess that scares me a little. It was kinda nice being part of something incredibly special, known mostly to the most relevant people.


For many reasons, this is likely my last trip to Black Rock City. I'm afraid there will be a certain amount of reality to my dream. The last time I went, in 2005, I noticed a lot of tourists especially towards the end of the week. When you spot frat boys in khaki shorts, t-shirts, and baseball caps, you know something is definitely off.

I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out when I return. In the meantime, I'll continue to fall asleep and dream about everything going wrong at that far away place...