mardi gras 2007

more pictures here.

mardi gras 2007 unfurled itself upon new orleans, a tapestry of creativity, revelry and jest, with near perfect unpredictability. i find it a wonderful celebration not only because it's the best free and serindipidous party i've experienced but because the panoply of emotions i feel in a single intense long day awakens me to the richness within as much as without. and, it's not all gravy. i seem to have crises between the moments of ecstasy, at least a few times a day, and i see it happening all around me, reminding me that the human condition is an ephemeral concoction of ups and downs. beside a person smiling from ear to ear is another weeping. it's a radical self-check-in and the pageant can just as easily bring about introversion as it can extroversion. walking the streets mardi gras day in new orleans can be as in the moment as the most care-free of experiences or as challenging and reflective as psychotherapy. at times, i've imagined i'm walking through my consciousness as much as i am parading the french quarter, the panorama (at least from my perspective) of costumes triggering experiences and memories (as well as the literal present) in a soup as thick as gumbo and spicy as cajun seasoning. if you're at all competative, as i can be, marching with the krewe of saint anne will test your ego. the quality and creativity of costuming is mind boggling. it occurs to me every year that if the planet could orient itself to the energy and positivity of mardi gras the planet would be a much more self-aware and happier place.