Too soon?
Look, you can’t change the past and all the past that matters on this day is this: I went to Burning Man. No matter how you feel about that, it happened. The only thing left to consider is how to respond to it, how to mitigate the damage and perhaps even wring something positive out of it. We have to face reality. We can’t just pull out and pretend it never happened. Yes, my attendance at Burning Man 2007 is a long national nightmare that has changed the psyche of this blog. It was unexpected, out of character, even. And yet, there it is.
So where do we go from here? No matter your political leanings, my attendance at Burning Man 2007 is an issue we must deal with. Granted, the decision to purchase the tickets was a unilateral one and I take full responsibility for that. I didn’t consult with any of you, not even Krucoff. And yet in taking responsibility, I assume no accountability. I’d fire someone if I thought it would do any good. Hell, I’d fire myself. But that’s living in the past. It doesn’t matter how I got there, all that matters is what to do now that I’ve gone. Stop pointing fingers and get to work, that’s my mantra. Not really, but damn, it’s a good soundbite.
Some of you may be thinking that I should have known better than to attend Burning Man 2007, that it was obvious it would turn into a quagmire. My response to that is: I can’t predict the future, people. Sure, there have been other events in the past that Burning Man could be compared to. I’ve heard some of you invoke the horrors of Altamont and the lessons we learned on that tragic night. But come on, I was a barely a year old when that shit went down. Am I supposed to remember that? Or read about it in a history book? Preferably one with lots of pictures? I don’t have time for that kind of reflection. Ours is a time for action.
In closing, I’d like to offer up this glimpse of my time in the desert. (The real desert, not some candy-assed metaphorical one like 99 likes to pretend he is exiled to.) Goddamn, that looks like fun, doesn’t it? You all wish you could have been there now. I know. Let the storm in that picture represent the whirlwind of emotions you are experiencing on account of my revelation.
Burn-elujah, people.
So where do we go from here? No matter your political leanings, my attendance at Burning Man 2007 is an issue we must deal with. Granted, the decision to purchase the tickets was a unilateral one and I take full responsibility for that. I didn’t consult with any of you, not even Krucoff. And yet in taking responsibility, I assume no accountability. I’d fire someone if I thought it would do any good. Hell, I’d fire myself. But that’s living in the past. It doesn’t matter how I got there, all that matters is what to do now that I’ve gone. Stop pointing fingers and get to work, that’s my mantra. Not really, but damn, it’s a good soundbite.
Some of you may be thinking that I should have known better than to attend Burning Man 2007, that it was obvious it would turn into a quagmire. My response to that is: I can’t predict the future, people. Sure, there have been other events in the past that Burning Man could be compared to. I’ve heard some of you invoke the horrors of Altamont and the lessons we learned on that tragic night. But come on, I was a barely a year old when that shit went down. Am I supposed to remember that? Or read about it in a history book? Preferably one with lots of pictures? I don’t have time for that kind of reflection. Ours is a time for action.
In closing, I’d like to offer up this glimpse of my time in the desert. (The real desert, not some candy-assed metaphorical one like 99 likes to pretend he is exiled to.) Goddamn, that looks like fun, doesn’t it? You all wish you could have been there now. I know. Let the storm in that picture represent the whirlwind of emotions you are experiencing on account of my revelation.
Burn-elujah, people.
