fire is life. it can provide us with the means for many things we need in life- light, heat, a means to cook our food, and illumination in the darkness to recognize friend or foe. sometimes our fire goes out. sometimes we get so caught up in the light, the beauty and the heat that it turns to ash and we find ourselves sitting in the darkness. it is much easier to take some time and be mindful of our fires than to have to struggle in the dark and cold to find tinder, kindling, and fuel and to start over.
when you head into camp, or a mountain hall, or even someone's backyard and you sit in front of the hearth, the fireplace, the brazier, or the woodstove, it's easy to take for granted all the care and love that has gone into bringing the fire to a roar or allowing the coals to quietly burn hot. you don't see the hewing of timber, the sweat from splitting, or the patience and knowledge that went into building it and the restraint and discipline to ration the fuel when fuel may be in short supply. it's easy to bask in front of someone else's fire.
these are meditations on how to care for your own fire, how you nurtured it from nothing but a spark to heat and vitality. this is how to keep it burning hot and what to do when it may go out. just as a deed to piece of property represents many layers of bureaucracy, time, and money, a hot fire represents time, care, and love. it all starts with preparation and intention.
1.) prepare in daylight.
things are familiar in the daylight. you can see clearly. always do your preparation when you can see clearly. there will come times when this is not possible but when it is within your control always prepare under the light of the sun.
2.) gather much more fuel than you may deem necessary
this is based on the simple fact is that it is good to be prepared.
3.) gather your fuel from a large area.
don't waste your time with twigs and sticks when by venturing a bit further out you can find a more plentiful supply of large pieces of fuel. don't limit yourself. there will always be storms and winds that will blow down large limbs- nature provides for us. in the mean time canvas a large area and you will be glad that you did. don't exhaust the supply in an area close to you- you may need it later
4.) be mindful of what your fuel is.
it may be easier to gather the cord of poplar that is near your camp, but it will be cold tonight and poplar doesn't burn as hot as the dried oak that may be a bit further out in the woods. take the time to seek out that oak, and enjoy the beauty of things around you as you do it. notice the sweat on your brow and the smell of bark on your hands. take comfort in the fact that though you may be tired now from your gathering you will be warm and comfortable in the evening.
so all these things might be easy to intellectualize and quite a different matter to put into practice. often i find myself not taking these steps and finding my fire close to going out. sometimes it does go out and i've had to brave cold nights in the dark, all things that could have been prevented. i find myself often struggling with intention, where to place my focus, and where my own love is. oftentimes these days i find myself worrying more about the coming cold night than how best to prepare for it. i wrote these things out to remind myself that the day does come again and when it does, the time should be taken to do these things. this is ultimately where the love is.
fuel your own fire. you will be warmer for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment