With the arrival of Spring comes the beginning of true uncut happiness. Festivals are to me as BBQ and weekend grandmother visits are to others growing up. All winter long I work HARD and diligently so I can afford to take off time to go "home" again. Being an immigrant and not having the close family ties and reunions that many, many others around me have often left me with much sadness and a need to belong somewhere. My first festival, Phish, was an eye-opening experience where I finally felt the release of the true self. No other place, except maybe climbing a mountain top or seeing a live show has made me feel at ease to be ME!
My first "rodeo" this year was Strangecreek in Greenfield, MA. And even though I contracted Poison Ivy (which I am extremely allergic to) I had an amazing fairy tale plane of existence that sent me soaring beyond any imagination possible. I truly believed between Max Creek's jamming play to Bumblebees and late night/early morning hardcore raves that I was home again. Being filled with such emotion that brought me to tears of pure raw happiness where I felt an out of body experience and I was in the land of my fantasies; the true reality and NOT this material mundane struggle for false securities and power! POWER! I can only laugh now!
As I walk the streets after this liberating time, I find it sad, but all together silly that people walk around with such misery in a land that provides them with ample comforts. The frowning stares and the traffic jam rushes only fuel my great desire to let go of my struggle within myself to "fix" society and to instead enter my own plane of existence with like-minded individuals who see the world as what it can be and not for what it is.
So with this I say PEACE! and much LOVE! See you on the trail!
