Camper Bios - 2012
Diane
No BM camp name yet. Maybe it’s Puff-magic. 63.
Home is the Washington DC area; specifically, it’s where
my compost pile is--Cheverly, MD.
I was a “lurker” for years after I helped sew costumes
and banners for my daughter Anima (Duchess) and her
tribe in 2007. This past fall I knew my year had come.
When the lottery didn’t give many of the old-timer
burners their tickets, I was “the person who broke
Burning Man.” The guilt didn’t last long, though; I gave
myself permission to pour my creative juices into
creating Puff (the Magic Dragon), the 2-lady costume
that my partner-in-Puff, Mary, and I conjured up. I’ve
also committed to cooking up Venezuelan arepas, which I
like to stuff with jalapeño-laced Colby cheese.
Why BM? To experience the community; to
see how a voluntary city of 65K people really can
self-govern; and to create some internal space within
which to begin to choose what I want to do when I grow
up, after my current work ends. Finally, just to know
myself as someone who can meet the challenges!
Why do I say PolyParadise is the right match? I wanted
to find a group that I could cook with. Online, I saw
two things I loved: an organized kitchen ♫, and a very
welcoming person ♥ who responded to my email – Crispy
Dave. But when I read “poly amory,” I knew this wasn’t
for me! …but I kept reading, talked with Dave, and saw
that the values of authentic, “coming from nothing”
connection with other humans are, in fact, my values. A
conversation with Scotto left me even more confident
that I—firmly in a 41-year-old monogamous marriage—will
create community with you. Fortunately, Mary (this is
her second Burn) is a great sport and trusts my choice!
Who am I? “I am the possibility of
joyful service!” Saying it that way will sound familiar
to those of you who are graduates of the Landmark Forum.
I’ve loved reviving my artistic side by creating
Puff—and I thank you for that already! For a long time,
I’ve exercised my creativity in non-artistic ways:
creating a human rights organization; pioneering
Congressional oversight of intelligence agencies;
supporting grassroots development efforts in Latin
America; “herding cats” to enable two Federal agencies
to work better; building and sustaining a team of
Spanish interpreters to make Landmark Education courses
available to immigrants in the DC area; and raising a
husband and a couple kids. Now I look forward to drawing
some burner portraits, and Puff is excited about getting
on the playa!