Allcom — Gemini
Thanks a heap for starting this thread! I’ve been thinking about this a lot, lately, too!
Being a Ranger, and rangering, has truly been a life-changing experience for me, and has altered the course of my life forever.
Being a shift commander (khaki), participating in the Shift Lead Cadre, and participating in Burning Man Ranger training and learning the “Collaborative Way” in addition to being a dirt ranger, have given me real world job skills that I used to advance in my career.
I also consider that I use FLAME almost every day in my interactions with people. All people, because I think FLAME is awesome!
After 14 years at the same job, I had become stagnant and wanted to make a change. Largely based on my Ranger/Burning Man experience, I competed for and was awarded a job as an Event Manager for the 15,000 seat stadium at the University in Reno. This venue hosts commercial and academic events, sporting events, concerts, family shows and “other duties as assigned”. Part of that was also being in charge of the Guest Services department and responsible for developing training and retention programs for what amounts to about 500 employees a year with close to 50% turn-over rate. I was able to incorporate a lot of Ranger and non-violent mediation technique into the Guest Services department, making a real change away from militaristic, cop-like behavior and more towards a customer service, compassionate ethos. I had the highest retention rate they’ve ever had there, and they still use much of what I developed today. It turns out that particular job wasn’t a good fit for me, long term, mostly because it affected my ability to continue participating in Burning Man and the Rangers. I thought I was ready for that and I was really, terribly wrong.
I am now in a different and much happier department, but still working for the University, and utilizing a different set of Ranger skills =)
However, Being a ranger made me a better Event Manager and being an Event Manager has made me a better Ranger.
I now see the “big picture” in a way that I did not before, being an event manager has given me more confidence in Rangering, and has allowed me to develop a particular skill set with regard to radical self-entitlement (DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY I GIVE TO THIS UNIVERSITY?!?! became the new “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!? hahahaha, but you can’t alienate donors!)
I can’t wait to see what happens next on this ride on the edge of chaos!
Love love love to all Rangers,
Gemini