Spearheading an erection

So this was my first teknival and I decided that there just needed to be cuddle space, being the cuddle slut that I am. I started by asking around on the freetekno forum to see if anyone had space that i could use. The response was good and so I was all ready to get this thing happening. There was supposed to be a dome, at one point. Then it turned into a shelter made of TV attenas. Then it turned into shelter made with large sticks in the ground.

The whole project took me about 5 1/2 hours on Saturday afternoon, in the blistering heat. I was overwhelmed by the support i got from those camped around me, and also just those who stumbled upon us. Once the giant sticks were hauled from the bush (all the way from the log pile at the top of the hill on the way out) we scouted out the best way to erect this thing. I have never done anything like build a shelter out of tarp and sticks before, so it was a great learning experience.

I got back to camp and my fiance started whittlin' the stakes that we would anchor it with while I marked the holes for the large sticks and started diggin. Then, out of nowhere, a great group of committed individuals came and helped me dig!

Once the holes were dug and we started to try to erect the thing, we realised that i had really not done a very good job at placing the holes and that, well, it just wasn't going to work out the way I had planned. After much brainstorming with a crew of about 15 volunteers, we came to a decision to make it a lean-to. Which worked wonderfully!

'it was so funny seeing it prop up perfectly past the point of projected phailure. I prayed for protection and peace percolated perpendicularily, pertaining to the prapping of the puddle. I wrote a poem there with Muffin that was !AMAZING" and here it is located, along with many other creative fruits of the cuddle puddle and word bubble, available on the Word_Bubble page It was such an amazing community-building activity. I couldn't have done it at all without all the support, help, problem solving skills and hugs from all that were there for the erection.  I met so many beautiful people during that time!

The folks that were supposed to bring all our blankets and comfy things ended up getting sick so they didn't come. So I walked around the festival letting everyone know it was going on and got donations of blankets, pillows etc for the puddle. It was great to see people who didn't even know what a cuddle puddle was be so supportive!

Though it was only up for less than 24 hours, that space contained a whole lotta love, healing and happiness - from cuddle puddles, to head rubs, to reiki, to vocal jams and wiki-work.

Thanks to all who used the space!

Special thanks to Kevin, Colin, Iylia, Benny, Anna, Jenna, Paul, Krista, Greg, Chad and Emily!

Amelia

Kevin here, I just wanted to add my point of view for The Erection ;). Just as an opening statement this was my first freetekno event and I definitly had a great time. I learned about it through the FAK stage (The stage beside Weskodyne) . After spending some time reading the forums I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.  Each day I was at at teknival I tried to do one thing to help someone with something. The first day I helped move a huge log all the way down the airstrip as a seat for some persons camp and I also helped put up the FAK stage's tarp (a huge tarp is really hard to put up) and saturday I helped create a massive erection.

I'm no stranger to PLUR because I am a unitarian (Its my religion, we get made fun of on The Simpsons :P) so I did know what a cuddle puddle was. Unfortunatly I never got to join in on this one because every time I showed up to cuddle a puddle had just broken up. Oh well, better luck next time.

Kevin ( dj.error[at]gmail.[remix] )