Fire

When the human race began, we were like all other organisms in that we had to rely on our own metabolism, or the fiery sun for our warmth. Some believe that it was our mastery of fire that led to civilization. The vast majority of our time here on Earth, we have relied on renewable forms of fire making, like wood or char, but relatively recently, we have used fossil energy, the stored carbon from millions of years ago, put up as it were by geologic forces and as we make use of this stored energy, like a solar battery, we have found many negative impacts to our environment, for our species and for the many other species that inhabit the planet with us. We are seeing, just this week a destabilization of the atmosphere so great as to have breached the high pressure ridge that has existed in the equatorial region since before our species developed. The fire that we have harnessed is wreaking havoc on the entire globe.

Tribes still sit around communal fires, sharing stories of the past, sharing food, drink and camaraderie. There is a culture, to which we belong, of friends, family and community who share the dancing fire light of the ancients, mesmerized by the dancing fires kindled for not only their warmth, but for the endless hours of entertainment that a few logs can provide.

This week, try to find a fire to sit around and enjoy the timeless treasure that is fire.