fire

It all started with a bright orange fire hydrant…

As I left class this past Thursday, I dragged my feet in the mud dreading the hour plus drive back to DC. Damn-it, it was still raining and I do NOT like driving in the rain. In order to calm myself, I snapped a few photographs before climbing into my car to head off. Around the bend, a right at the corner -- fog was rolling in thicker than I’ve ever seen! I could barely see the car in front of me though I continued to creep along at maybe 5 MPH deciding whether or not to go back to the place where I'm taking class to wait it out when my gut spoke to me, “Girl, this is no fog, this is SMOKE!” No sooner did my brain get the message when there before me was a truck ablaze in a threatening red-yellow-orange frenzy.

Now one would think I would indeed turn around but NOOOOO! I whipped out my camera and kept driving trying to get as close as possible. I know this sounds absolutely crazy but my adrenalin didn’t think so as my brain told me the truck could blow up while my instincts told me otherwise. Of course, the police and firefighters kept everyone at a distance not clearing us spectators away so I also felt like I was fine. Now while all this is going on I remembered that in class we had just talked about the yellow chakra, which is associated with trusting our gut. I realized during those seconds that taking photographs is etched deeper in me than I knew, felt a bit courageous as I assume journalists covering dangerous assignments feel. I felt no fear; my drive home was a breeze.

I don’t have much yellow in my home and none in my wardrobe so I picked up a golden candle to burn

when I meditate and practice self Reiki or acupressure, used it after my evening meditation that same day. A quiet hypnotic flame that did not flicker sat atop the candle. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the soft glowing colors that soothed me; there was something so sensual about the red-rimmed black bowl resting at the tip of the wick holding hot fire that was anything but threatening.

Fire seemed to be a running occurrence in my life the latter part of this past week. I jumped at the chance to take a metalworking class that advertised making a ring for two reasons. One, I’ve been interested in taking a class like this for quite some time without having to make a long-term commitment. This four-hour session gave me the opportunity to try the milk before buying the cow so to speak. Second, we were making a silver piece of jewelry; ‘nuff said on that front! When the instructor pulled out the small torches, I was not the least bit fearful or threatened knowing that extremely high heat creates beauty as it did during glass blowing class a few years ago. I had no trouble firing the flat metal; shaping it into a ring is another story!

A series of events with no apparent links set in motion by whatever compelled me to notice a fire hydrant that until that particular day, I had failed to see. The soundtrack playing in my head -- I’ll give you one guess as to what the song is. If you’re not experienced, look up the album, check out the track listings and…

keep your peepers open!®