I went a couple of times years ago when it was just starting to turn into what you describe. Had a great time, but it quickly priced me out. Now, it sounds like an influencer-laden hellscape. The addition of premium plug and play sites was the nail in the coffin. That said, a lot of the old time Burners are fucking amazing, creative, resourceful, and helpful people.
The struggle isn’t men vs women. It’s different mindsets. There are men, women, and other identities who view things in an us vs them bigoted way and then there are those who don’t look at what someone is, but how they treat others. The latter tend to be capable of getting along just fine together and use communication skills and emotional maturity to create solidarity with each other rather than pointing fingers at each other and creating absolutist rules and narratives. They show what is possible and are creating change and progress through being the solution of unity and solidarity by simply being cool with each other and not assuming anything about each other based on whatever identities they have.
At least they could have the social courtesy to hop on the digital bandwagon and use autotone.
I’m American, but switched it to the male UK voice. Far less irritating and a lot less “by the way…” crap.
Nah, it’ll just be another, “Gawd werks in mysterious wayz!”
I cut off contact with my narcissist father and stepmother about 8 or 9 years ago. I had previously cut off contact for a year or two at a time, but would feel guilty and reconnect and nothing changed. This time it’s permanent.
Since then, my mental and emotional health has vastly improved. I have accomplished more in these years than in all the previous ones. I now have a great writing gig and life isn’t perfect, but it’s better now than ever before. If I ever did speak to them, the only thing I’d say is, “I couldn’t have done it with you.”