Burning Man is a gathering of thousands in the desert. Techno DJ’s serenade the visitors as they wander in their birthday suits admiring artwork. It’s a simple idea that has grown into something profound; it’s a culture free of judgment.
Reading “Why Would Anyone Go to Burning Man?” by Seth Stevenson was jaw dropping and my frontal lobe judged the mushroom poppers who attended this nudist event. But why? If people are comfortable enough to be naked around complete strangers, power to them. The visitors don’t do it to be raunchy. They do it for a greater cause: equality. One Burning Man’s 10 guiding principles is “radical inclusion” which allows for all shapes sizes, and sexual orientations to join in; if only that type of mentality could be found everywhere.
Driving through Hartland, Wisconsin, the odds are you will lay eyes on an empty cigarette pack or a McDonald’s bag on the side of the road. There are only 7,905 people in Hartland. 51, 515 people attended Burning Man last year and after surveying the festival grounds. They attendees “leave no trace.” Everything they bring they have to dispose of at home. Talk about a hassle. But is it really that big of a hassle to wait the five minute drive it takes to return home from the McDonalds drive-thru to toss your burger wrapper? Probably not.
The Burning Man is free of judgment, free of trash, and free of clothing. Why not give it a go?