Fire

As the summer gets closer and closer, more and more people start to have bonfires--the best part of the summer, right? There are many elements to a bonfire, each an essential part of the overall experience. Some of the things that you need are:

• Stuff to burn (old railroad ties, sticks hand picked from the forest, old couches that sit on your lawn all winter, or pallets stolen from Wal-Mart... all work beautifully)
• People to come to your bonfire (invited via technology, of course. Only the VIPs might get an actual invite inside an actual conversation)
• Food and pop to consume while around said fire. This includes the ever-famous s'mores delicacy... not only delicious, but a beautiful art and talent for everyone to better themselves on. Starbursts are also an excellent thing to roast.
• A place to have the inferno
• And, of course, a way to start the fire.

This last bullet is probably one of the most important. Not all of us were Eagle Scouts!!! To light a fire, you can use:

• Flint & steel - the manly man way
• Matches - the real man way
• A lighter - the woman way
• Or my freshman year best friends' favorite way: lighter fluid, newspaper, hairspray, and a match. Lots of lighter fluid, not so much newspaper. The hairspray they use, flame-thrower style, to light the dangerously sodden newspaper/wooden pallet concoction. Oh yes, they did think they were cool. Ah, youth.

This leads me to my next question. What lights your fire?

Some things that light mine:

• Fast cars
• Loud music. Lots of bass, but not too much
• Driving fast in said fast cars blasting said loud music. Windows down. Sunglasses on.
• Cities. Shopping. Movies. Going out to dinner.
• BBQs
• Art
• Beards
• Pretty things
• Lefties
• Golf
• Traveling! duh
• Looking around and realizing that the nature around you (reality, if you will) is better than a painting, photograph, or poem could ever be. Paintings don't let you breathe in the fresh air of all spring and green things, or soak in the striking blue and white of the mountains... the purple hue covering everything when the sun sets, or the deep reds, golds, and browns of fall, especially when the sun is shining, and the warmth is setting in. I do love nature, I'm just not very good at it yet.

Different people have different interests.... their fires are lit by different things than mine sometimes. However, my friends tend to have at least a good number of things in common with me... but the differences just make it more fun for all of us! That way we can do new things!

I'm pretty excited for this summer. Time for lots of my favorite things.

And just in case you were wondering.... what's my favorite part about fire?

Why, the heat, of course.

Mmm.... sizzle sizzle.