(no subject)
Got an email from the Burning Man Rangers Council that I found very touching, and would like to post here so that I can easily find it again in the future.
This was my 4th year serving the participants of Black Rock City as a Ranger, at times the most fulfilling work I've found. Happily, I worked enough to earn a staff credential for the third year in a row, so my ticket (!) & vehicle pass for the 2019 event are covered. You will find me then, Home, in the inhospitable dust, the worst and best place on Earth, among the weird, wild, wonder-filled culture and community I cherish above all I've ever known, where I Belong.
-Ranger Fantastic
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Hey, Rangers:
This year’s Burning Man theme was "I, Robot". While robots only have three laws to obey, Rangers have a lot more nuance to navigate on every shift. Ours is a role automation won’t be replacing any time soon.
Rangers have a lot in common with some robots. We are wayfinders and communicators. We do things for participants they can’t do for themselves, and sometimes we just help them find the solution that’s already at hand. At night, some of us truly look the part, with glowing, blinking, and functional LEDs. We’ve even got some basic programming - thanks to the Training Academy and our mentors and partners.
But we are far from robotic in what we do. We think around problems by learning. Every shift uses our full range of emotions and we seek self-care and help of our own. Unlike any positronic brains that have been invented so far, the minds sitting beneath our white hats are empathetic, inventive, resourceful, and creative. We laugh, we cry, and we play - things robots have no use for. Rangers build on experience and learn with no guidance except our own desire to grow and to feel pride, joy, and fulfillment.
The word “robot” comes from the Russian rabota, which means “work”. Being a Black Rock Ranger is a lot of work, no matter at what level you choose to participate. Volunteering, training, showing up, and walking the dust in Black Rock City as it builds, grows, and fades into the desert are sacrifices we appreciate and understand at our core. It is also a labor of love. No robot could match that range of motivations.
You’ve heard it from participants, and we wanted you to hear it from us: Thanks for showing up and doing the thing, Rangers. You made our burn so much better.
With love and respect,
-The Ranger Council
This was my 4th year serving the participants of Black Rock City as a Ranger, at times the most fulfilling work I've found. Happily, I worked enough to earn a staff credential for the third year in a row, so my ticket (!) & vehicle pass for the 2019 event are covered. You will find me then, Home, in the inhospitable dust, the worst and best place on Earth, among the weird, wild, wonder-filled culture and community I cherish above all I've ever known, where I Belong.
-Ranger Fantastic
-----------------------
Hey, Rangers:
This year’s Burning Man theme was "I, Robot". While robots only have three laws to obey, Rangers have a lot more nuance to navigate on every shift. Ours is a role automation won’t be replacing any time soon.
Rangers have a lot in common with some robots. We are wayfinders and communicators. We do things for participants they can’t do for themselves, and sometimes we just help them find the solution that’s already at hand. At night, some of us truly look the part, with glowing, blinking, and functional LEDs. We’ve even got some basic programming - thanks to the Training Academy and our mentors and partners.
But we are far from robotic in what we do. We think around problems by learning. Every shift uses our full range of emotions and we seek self-care and help of our own. Unlike any positronic brains that have been invented so far, the minds sitting beneath our white hats are empathetic, inventive, resourceful, and creative. We laugh, we cry, and we play - things robots have no use for. Rangers build on experience and learn with no guidance except our own desire to grow and to feel pride, joy, and fulfillment.
The word “robot” comes from the Russian rabota, which means “work”. Being a Black Rock Ranger is a lot of work, no matter at what level you choose to participate. Volunteering, training, showing up, and walking the dust in Black Rock City as it builds, grows, and fades into the desert are sacrifices we appreciate and understand at our core. It is also a labor of love. No robot could match that range of motivations.
You’ve heard it from participants, and we wanted you to hear it from us: Thanks for showing up and doing the thing, Rangers. You made our burn so much better.
With love and respect,
-The Ranger Council