DESERT ECHO

Photograph Copyright Brendan James Cole

I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A BLOG POST FOR WEEKS

ONE THAT DETAILED MOMENTS OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS THREAD BY THREAD

THEN THIS MORNING I WOKE UP AND REALISED THAT I WAS WORRYING ABOUT NOTHING

THOSE MOMENTS ARE MINE, AND NO MATTER WHAT ADJECTIVE OR VERB OR ELABORATE CHOICE OF WORDS I CHOOSE TO DESCRIBE THEM, 
THEY ARE NO SMALLER THAN THEY WERE TO ME IN THE MOMENT THEY HAPPENED.

CHINCHILLAS, DANCING WARRIORS, TECHNICOLOUR LANDSCAPES, SEA AND YACHTS, 
BUILDING A HOME, MORNING DANCING, HAND WRITTEN BUT UNSPOKEN MESSAGES 
AND THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME ALONG THE EDGE OF THE EARTH.

THOSE WHO WERE THERE KNOW.... 

THE PAST MONTH SINCE MY RETURN HAS BEEN A WONDERLAND OF THOUGHT, 
A TANGLE OF DREAMS, MEMORIES, AND A GENUINE FEELING OF BEING FULL TO THE STOMACH OF JOY.

BURNING MAN IS AN EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER. 
IT REINFORCES THE FOUNDATIONS OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD HUMAN BEING. 
ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME A PART OF A COLLECTIVE, AND REALISE THAT MONEY CANNOT BUY YOU 
HEALTH, TRUE LOVE, HAPPINESS, JOY, MEANINGFUL FRIENDSHIPS, CONTENTMENT, FULFILLMENT, TIME OR RESPECT.

SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE TRY TO FORCE THINGS TO HAPPEN. 

WE THEN ARE DISAPPOINTED WHEN THINGS DON'T GO OUR WAY. 

WE THINK WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND OTHERS, AND THAT OTHERS SHOULD UNDERSTAND US.

WITH WIDE EYES, AN OPEN HEART AND A CALM BREATH 

YOU COME TO REALISE THAT THINGS HAPPEN WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. 

SOMETIMES THERE IS A BETTER WAY, OR LESSON TO LEARN. 

EVERYONE HAS HAD A DIFFERENT LIFE EXPERIENCE WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND. 

ONLY WE HAVE BEEN IN OUR SHOES, AND ONLY WE KNOW HOW THEY FIT US AT ANY GIVEN TIME.

IT IS CLEAR WE MUST LIVE WITH HOPE THAT THINGS WILL WORK OUT

WE MUST WORK TOWARDS OUR DREAMS REGARDLESS OF THE OBSTACLES

WE SHOULD EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR WHERE LIFE HAS TAKEN US

WE KNOW IT WAS ALL THOSE ON OUR JOURNEY, 

ALL THOSE MOMENTS, THAT MADE FOR THE SMILES AND THE TEARS. 

THIS IS LIFE. 

THIS IS OUR LIFE, AND IT IS AMAZING.

THESE ARE THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNT

EVERYONE PERCEIVES REALITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN YOU DO. 

BE ACCEPTING, TRY TO BE UNDERSTANDING AND DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS.
 PEOPLE WILL SURPRISE YOU, SOMETIMES FOR BETTER, SOMETIMES FOR WORSE.

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT. 

YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR HEART, YOUR MIND AND YOUR ENTIRE BODY WITH YOUR BREATH

REALISE HOW POWERFUL THAT IS, AND USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. 

CREATE CALM WHEN YOU FEEL UNEASY, AND DANCE IN JOY AND ELECTRICITY WHEN YOU ARE ELATED. 

EMBRACE GLITTER AND DUST - THAT IS ALL THERE IS

CLEAN DRINKING WATER IS A PRIVILEGE. ONE WE DON'T APPRECIATE NEARLY ENOUGH. BE THANKFUL NOT WASTEFUL

I LOVE THE PEOPLE IN MY LIFE, MORE THAN WORDS WILL LET ME DESCRIBE. 
THE LOVE I HAVE FOR THEM IS INEFFABLE. 
I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THEIR HUGS, THEIR VOICES 
OR THE HAPPINESS ON THEIR FACES AS THEY DANCE.

YOU ARE NOT WEIRD, YOU ARE NOT STRANGE, YOU ARE NOT RIDICULOUS. WE ALL ARE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

BURNING MAN DIDN'T SIMPLY TOLERATE THE STRANGENESS INSIDE OF ME, THE QUIRKS OF MY SOUL, IT CELEBRATED THEM. 

 IT IS A PLACE WHERE YOU REALISE YOUR BIGGEST FEAR, WILL IN FACT BE THE RESCUE OF YOU, JUST LET GO

 BURNING MAN IS  SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER FELT, OR SEEN UNTIL 
YOU HAVE STOOD FEET IN DUST, STARING AT THE SUNRISE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE MORE THAN ANY OTHER

 

BURNING MAN IS SOMETHING INFINITELY INTERESTING 

xx