Burning Man 2014: The Disposable Captured Moments 1/10
We became friends when he joined Lilychow, my other new friend, and I to teach us front and back flips on the Trampolines of Incredible Bounce.
He drank whiskey with pickle juice. He performed a ballerina-esque dance/jump/spinning to beat boxing. He was kind, silly, fun and sweet.
The lesson he was learning at BM this year was that he could do whatever he wanted to- that he didn't need to wait for anyone. "No more standing around waiting for someone else and feeling trapped in a situation I don't want to be in."
He told us about two friends he introduced to one another, and how instead of feeling sad when they hit it off and entered into a deep conversation that E didn't feel connected to, he let them do their thing, saw the goodness in their meeting and his role in that, and he skipped off to a new adventure of his own.Â
I'd been in Black Rock City for about 14-15 hours or so, E, on the otherhand, had early entry and had been building and helping with the Temple for a few days, possibly even a week. I don't really know. Either way, he'd had ample time to be reflecting on the effects of the social experiment, while I was super stoked to be wearing a tutu.
After our afternoon together, Lilychow and I eventually parted with Everywhere for dinner. We rode together to my camp, where E wrote down his coordinates and some recommendations for camps L and I needed to visit. We were all stoked to have met, and I thought I might run into him again, or maybe intentionally try to find him sometime later in the week, but didn't give it much thought.
The next day IÂ found myself at the corner of Gold and some hour I don't remember because I was never paying any attention to time. I was standing at a Kissing Booth, when a woman introducing herself as Sage approached Chad and I, a pre-BM friend.
"This is a total long shot, but do either of you know a guy who goes by the name of Everywhere? I know him from outside and am trying to find him. I know he is part of operating a kissing booth somewhere."
I remembered then that E had mentioned such a thing, although I know it was not the one we were at. It didn't matter though- what were the chances I would be standing at this corner, at this time, and actually know the person she was talking about at this festival of 70,000 people?
With excitement and pride I reached into my belt, "This is crazy, but I actually know exactly where you can find him."
IÂ pulled out the little piece of paper titled "Everywhere's List", complete with exactly where he was sleeping in the Tent City. Sage laughed with delight and wrote it all down, as dumbfounded as I was. She then thanked us, Â and promised to give him a gigantic hug from me. I couldn't think of a better way to reconnect with him.Â
This is how Burning Man was, and how life off the playa is when there's  space for the unplanned- reminders over and over that you're exactly where you need to be and good people are Everywhere.Â
gracieabrams
origamiaround
kianamaiart