Yesterday was my first real class with Fire Groove where I am learning to do fire dancing with a staff. The class was excellent and I left feeling like I learned something and got a small little work out (my shoulders are still sore). While the skills I am developing there are certainly going to increase my confidence and chance of getting laid it is the sense of open community that really struck me.
From the beginning we were encouraged to share what we know, look for new moves and ask questions, and be open about what we have learned. There was no push for secrecy or an “us vs them” mentality that can often form, instead the instructors wanted a strong community open to everyone. It was really burner-esque in a lot of ways and it isn’t surprising that many of the students and instructors had attended Burning Man before.
Given my move from DC (where EVERYTHING is “us vs them”) it has been a welcome relief to find that doesn’t seem to be how most of society works. In fact, politics and religion seem to be one of the few places where communities attempt to keep secrets and close themselves off from other people. With technology it will be interesting to see how this all changes in the future. Instead of defining ourselves as the antithesis of some other group I think more and more people are rejecting that and embracing all seekers of knowledge and love.
Wandering Oak 