Life Lessons From Fire

         I love fire. I understand that you're probably not supposed to say things like that in public places, or in any place really. Most people I've confessed this to usually end up backing away quickly and looking around for the nearest glass of water or an exit. Let me make this clear: I'm not a goddamn pyro. Honestly I'm not. I don't set wildfires for fun, and I don't have lighters and gasoline in my pockets, but there's something about the concept of fire that has always just really fascinated me. Some of the best life lessons I've learned have been from fire itself:

1. Everything about fire is so thrilling and fierce. It's an all or nothing action, either you have a flame or you don't. It's so simple but there's no "in-between". What if we all lived like that- if we did something meaningful in our lives, we'd do it wholeheartedly and with a full effort, or we wouldn't do the damn thing at all. The world would be a much happier and more satisfied place.
2. The way that fire spreads is so amazing. James Keller once said that "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle", and it's so true. Fire just keeps on giving and giving without really asking for anything in return. What if all of us were that selfless?
3. Fire makes s'mores. This one's pretty straightforward. Everyone should try and inspire the wonderful sticky deliciousness that is marshmallows, graham crackers, and melted chocolate. YUM. If you can be as sweet as a s'more you've learned a really valuable life lesson.
4. Fire has so much presence. It's so bright and gorgeous that there's no way it can possibly be ignored. A flame commands all of your attention and is definitely mesmerizing sometimes. Hell, you can lose yourself in it completely sometime. It completely captures your attention and forces you to give it some credit. I think every person should feel this way about themselves, and know that they mean something.
5. One of the most beautiful contradictions of fire is what it stands for. A fire can very obviously be dangerous force and can destroy even the most stable of structures. But fire is also what helps us live, by giving us the heat and comfort we need to survive. Without it we'd probably still be riding wooly mammoths in the Ice Ages.
6. Fires make sparks. A fire is always moving and crackling and changing and almost just constantly laughing. If everyone in the world was as active and happy and transformational as a fire, we would get so much more done in life, and be all the more cheerful for doing it. 

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