STORM
On Friday afternoon I was cruising the city looking for the Tuna Guys’ camp as sunset approached. It began to lightly rain. Not wanting to be out in the dark wet night, I started biking back to home camp. I started to feel the constriction of panic creep from within my chest. What if it starts raining hard? What if I get stuck in the mud? What if… And then I pulled myself out of the “what if” trap. And I looked around. The start of sunset was tinting the landscape. Art surrounded me. Nature was dropping beads of moisture on the dry playa floor and my face. The colors….the sensations…when I allowed myself to FEEL the moment, it was amazing. I pulled into my camp and saw that most my campmates were also embracing the moment. People were perched on top of an RV roof and paying homage to the brilliant sunset and storm. People cheered with every bolt of lighting. Jeffrey played guitar from the roof. I skipped through the dusty, rain-dotted streets. Then something happened. A rainbow formed to the east. From the middle of this temporary desert utopia, I looked at the elements that surrounded us: Sunset. Mountains. Playa. Rain clouds. Lighting. Rainbow. I’d never seen such beauty. I became overwhelmed. I started crying. After 10 minutes I found myself still overwhelmed with awe. I didn’t know what to do. I got on my bike and rode out to the Man. On my way there, I saw the Temple of Joy to my left. Since it was joy I was overwhelmed with, I changed course and headed to the temple. Besides, I hadn’t been there since they opened it to the public.
My mind wanted to wander but I kept trying to focus on the moment. Look at this. Look at where we are. Has there ever been a more perfect moment? Is this a sign for me? Or a grand example of what can all manifest when the conditions of love, community, creativity and spirit are optimal? Does art have the potential to manifest miracles!? Focus.
Have the courage to believe this is more than a pretty sunset. It was getting dark so I stood to leave. But as the last of the pink sunset was slipping away, a circle surrounded a woman in front of the temple. She explained that she had helped build the temple in tribute to her dead mother. After a silent pause, she sang an angelic opera with only the storm as her orchestra. Divine. The tears came again and the joy, again, overwhelmed me. What a perfect hour. What a divine experience. I returned to camp and was greeted with warm food and love-filled hugs. I forgot all my evening plans and collapsed in my tent. Sunset. Mountains. Playa. Rain clouds. Lighting. Rainbow. Focus. Believe in Ultimate Possibilities.
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Once
they completed the temple, I planned to go back to see what people were
writing on the wooden walls. But I got distracted by all the bright
and shiny things around Black Rock City. I didn’t go back to the temple
all week. I spent most my time riding around on my furry bike and waving
hello to my amazing Playa family.
There
was a small crowd there enjoying the storm and the end of sunset. I
sat by the temple, meditated, and cried.
