My Special Birthday

Rarely will I ever do anything on here that is just to write about what is going on or has happened outside of challenges.  I am writing this only to express a heartfelt Thank You to the many people, family and friends alike, who wished me a Happy Birthday today. 

I had to work this morning, having to go in a 5 am to a store for training, which was over 45 minutes from where I live.  That meant I had to get up ALOT earlier than normal.  Long story short, the training was a joke and I was back at my store by 9 am.  The few people at work that knew it was my birthday made sure to tell me to have a happy one.  However, I lost one of my best workers today as his day of retirement was today.  This was depressing but at the same time I am happy for him.  He earned the retirement.

My family called over the course of the day, with my mother calling last at around 9pm.  It was good to hear from them... for the most part...lol.

But, truth be told, I enjoyed my day the most just having Robin with me.  I did not want anything special except that and our two dogs.  I really needed the day with MY family at home.  It is at the time we spend with one another that my days are brighter and my life is at its best.

And having Robin tell me "Happy Birthday"...

...that made my birthday special.

Four Things - Day 6

I thank my wife, Robin, from "At Four O'Clock" for starting this.

Day 6: Four Memories from the past Four Years

1. Not all memories are good.  We all have them...those dreaded horrible times that stick in your mind and eat away at you.  I have one that I will always remember because it, at the time, made me feel like a failure in so many ways.  I was in a management position at my job, which I enjoyed, and I was just back from an on the job injury that had me out for a month.  There was so much that had NOT been done while I was out.  Paperwork, organization, paperwork, staffing, paperwork, stocking, and, oh ya, paperwork.  All of, not a bit of it was done.  I was told and it was also implied that my direct supervisor was supposed to manage all this while I was out.  I expected it to be done half assed at least but not a bit had been done.  I know that I should have confronted her, but my job was my livelihood and I was afraid of the confrontation backfiring and me losing my job.  I had been with this company for a few years and I happy that I was working when so many others were having difficulties even finding work. So, I sucked it up and tried to catch it up.

To no avail. Three days after I was back...(how does one get current on everything that has piled up over a month in just three days without being on salary?)...my department was reviewed by the district auditor and we received a 12% score.  That was the lowest in the store's history. (And before anyone asks, yes, the auditor knew I was out for a month and no the manager above me did not get penalized.)  I knew my job was history, but being stubborn, I hung on and after three weeks, I thought I was in the clear.

I was wrong.  I organized a meeting with my department which is supposed to be done monthly, and got everyone in my department to agree to certain things which required reporting to me about duties performed and actions taken.  I made myself the supervisor by putting myself responsible for the department fully at that meeting and made sure everyone knew it.  I was trying to get back to the way it was before I was injured.  Immediately after the meeting, my store manager called me into the office along with my direct supervisor and we had a private meeting where I was told that my duties were no longer needed as I had failed with the department utterly.  I was to stunned to speak, to fight back, to say anything really.  He kept me on though but with a huge step down in position and pay.  I felt like a moron facing my department coming out of that meeting because it was just 30 minutes earlier I was making them all agree to get back on track and report to me as before...and here I was, below them in title and pay scale.

I did as I always did though.  I sucked it up and moved on.  I showed up for work in my new position, did my job, went home, rinsed and repeated.  I was devastated both mentally and, in some ways, psychologically, however, and it showed to my wife...which I regretted.  But she supported me and was my true hero in that she never lost faith in me and my abilities.  I bounced back eventually and soon worked back into management.  The pay was not where I was before but it was still better than what I made otherwise.  

I learned a lot about me and my work, my belief in my company and the strength of my wife and myself in that time.  While this memory is not the best memory I have, it is a memory that serves to remind me of what I have and value it so much more.  Not only that, it also is a stark reminder that no matter what you do, you have to do for yourself and yours first and foremost.  Don't hold  back if you feel you are wronged.  If I had said something maybe things would have turned out different...but in reality, I am now glad at how they turned out.

I am back in the same position I was at before, but at a different location.  I am more confident of my abilities and my work than ever...and my wife is still my staunchest and most avid supporter.

(source)

2. Meeting my wife again.  I can't say it enough.  God was definitely in our lives when He introduced us the first time.  Then, after two years, He had us meet again.  The full story is here on my wife's blog about what happened to get us together. The best memory of that time, however, was not just this, it was what happened on one particular day.  I had gone to Texas to visit with a relative (before plans were made for me to move there) and when I got back, I had searched the store for a few days to try and find Robin again.  Just seeing her made me feel good, even though, at the time, I thought she would have nothing to do with me.  After not finding her and being afraid to ask around about her, I figured that she had just quit or was let go for some reason while I had been in Texas.  

Then, one day, I was standing at the door talking to another associate, getting ready to leave for the day when I noticed her walking across the parking lot.  I was so excited that the little boy in me was doing back flips and, I swear, if I had been a dog, I would probably have gone bolting across the parking lot to tackle her with my tail flailing like a high powered fan.  As she came to the door, the associate I was talking too having turned into a droning sound in my ears, I smiled at her and said, "I thought you had quit. I haven't seen you around." At least I think I said something like that.  The memory is fuzzy because she smiled at me.

There went that little boy again, doing backflips like a master gymnast.

3. A Saint in our house...or is that a little devil?  We adopted Saint about 6 months ago now and she has been a terror at times, but she has mostly been a wonderful addition to our crazy little family.  We, Robin and I, had debated for months over whether to get another dog.  Then one day, while I was at a customers' house, I was introduced to a tiny litter of pups.  The owner said that she was giving them away and I told Robin.  Robin wanted to see them so we went and looked and within minutes, we were holding Saint.  We named her Saint because she had this habit, and still does it occasionally, of folding her paws like she is praying.  It was still several weeks before we could take her home though but when we did, the home felt so much brighter due to the presence of the little bundle of energy.  It didn't take her long to make our home her own...along with all that came with it...like the carpet and its many fibers, which she loved to chew on...

But the memory of Robin holding Saint that first time...wow...just precious.

4. So I talk in my sleep right.  Robin loves to tell this story so I am surprised she hasn't told it yet...so YEAH! I get to...lol.  Anyway, I work very hard on some days and so I fall asleep hard...and most of the time...fast.  I have always been able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat, I don't know why.  I don't fall asleep while doing important things, like driving.  Put my head on a pillow, however, and it's Nighty-Night!  I have also been informed that I talk in my sleep.  I have been told that I can carry on conversations too...like this time that I am talking about now.  I had laid down with Robin and we were curled up.  Robin swears only a couple of minutes had passed and I just suddenly said, "Sugar snap waffle peas!"  She thought I was still awake so she asks me what I meant by that.  She said I replied with something to the effect of "It was something we made when I worked at Waffle House, Sugar snap waffle peas!"  She woke me up and told me what I said and I denied it but she still likes to remind me of it and we joke around about it.

After all, it is not everyday that someone can claim to know of the elusive Sugar snap waffle peas.

(source)

Four Things - Day 5

So it has been awhile since I have done anything related to Four Things.  I'm not the avid blogger but I do visit a few of the more interesting ones I have found.  I just got done reading Ashley's summer reading list over at her blog "A Cup of Ash Tea"and thought it quite interesting that the next Four Things I had to do related to that subject.  I thank my wife, Robin, from "At Four O'Clock" for starting this.  Even though I don't do it by the day, I think it is an interesting experience and will stick with it to the finish.

Day 5: Four Book Recomendations

*Note: I would recommend Game of Thrones in this list as it is one of my all time favorite series, but I thought I would recommend other, not as popular books that I have read that were interesting as well.  Game of Thrones seems to be on everyone's list at the moment.

1. Hobgoblin by John Coyne - A bit of history behind this book.  When I was 14, I spent the summer with my uncle in South Carolina (I lived in Virginia at the time) and I saw this book on his shelf.  I was needing something to read and this book seemed right up my alley.  I was heavy into Dungeons and Dragons at the time and this book was about a boy that played a fantasy game much like it and was so enamored of the game that he actually began to believe it as real.  As I read it, I was drawn into it and enthralled by the story. It was nothing like what I thought it would be but it was so very good all the same.  It turns out to be more horror than fantasy and more psychological than you could imagine.  This book was, and still is, so good that even now, more than 20+ years later, I still pick it up and read it.  I have owned this book more times than I can count and I still look for it in used  bookstores when I go because it is so hard to find.  I don't want to buy it online as I like to see and feel the book in my hand. It is a rare book so if you luck upon one, grab it, read it and hold onto it.  I am a firm believer in "books are meant to be shared" but I refuse to let this one go anymore...I never seem to get it back.

(source)

2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - In a nutshell, a coming of age story.  This book is very intense, very wordy and very good.  VERY.  I was confused at first by what the author was doing with his story but by the fourth or fifth chapter, I grew so engrossed in the book that I began to understand better and appreciated his approach so much more.  It is one of the better books I have read this year and am currently reading part 2 of the series now.  I can't really describe this book, but needless to say, if you are looking for a book that is epic in scope and style, pick this one up.  You won't regret it.

(source)

3. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.  Imagine being a kid, being rich, being super intelligent and believing in fairies, elves and the fae folk and finding out they exist.  Now imagine being a ruthless villain too.  Artemis Fowl is actually a series but the first book is called Artemis Fowl and it is good for an easy read when you want something fun and exciting without being wordy and overbearing.  The first book introduces you to Artemis Fowl and gives you the basic background I told you above...rich kid with a brain and evil to boot.  He invests in trying to find the fae folk and succeeds only to try and get something from them through nefarious means.  If you want a good book that won't talk down to you and make you feel like a kid while still treating you as an adult, check this out.

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4. First Blood by David Morrell. Yes, we have probably all seen Rambo: First Blood and thought it was good, awesome, awful, or what ever...but did you know it was first a book?  A very good book with a much different story than the movie and a MUCH different ending.  Oh sure, the skeleton of the movie is in these pages, but Hollywood ran amok and put a totally different flesh on that skeleton for the movie. Let me put it this way...Morrell was not planning on another book for John Rambo.  I include this book for two reasons.  First and foremost, the difference from the movie makes it so much better and to me, would have made a much better movie than what Rambo ended up being.  Second, you really get a feel for the soldier (Rambo) and the hell he has been through and what his motivations are....and you get a true feel for the cop (Teasle) and how he is a good man with a load of responsibilities...not the ass displayed in the movie.  For a good, steady read, try out this book.  It isn't my favorite but it is still a good one.

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I have such a hard time choosing which books to recommend to people, I just love reading so much and there are very few books I don't finish once I start.  These are just a few of the ones I would recommend.  Who knows, I may do a post one day of nothing but book titles with links for those books I would definitely recommend to you.

Four Things - Day 4

 Sorry for the long delay between posts.  I have been extremely tired and just, to be honest, not into posting anything for a bit.  However, I am here now to post the next part of my wife's Four Things challenge that I signed on for. To see her site, visit her here atfouroclock.com

Day 4: Four Movie Recommendations

1 - The Ten Commandments: Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner play the lead roles in this awesome epic that is amazing to me even to this day.  The effects were spectacular and the story mesmerizing.  Believing in God and His wondrous displays were brought out in true and great Hollywood fashion in this movie.  I watched this for the first time when I was about 10 and as soon as I saw the dvd of it, I snatched it up. I watch this movie about once every couple of years now...thinking of watching it again soon, as a matter of fact.  The newer version, done in 2007, could not do this epic story justice in any way shape or form.  For true and amazing story telling at Hollywood's best, see this movie.

To me, next to the birth of Christ, this truly is the greatest story ever told.

2 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: I know. How can one go from talking of God to talking of sorcery and witchcraft, right?  Well, to be honest, I am a firm believer in God, however, I also believe that we can enjoy our life.  And that enjoyment comes in many forms.  For me, its movies, books, art, and games.  

With Harry Potter, Part 1, I was introduced to this amazing world of childish fantasy and wonderful dreams.  Someplace I always wanted to go as a kid.  As an adult, I could appreciate more the tenacity and gumption that went into making this movie.  The other movies in the series are good in and of themselves, but nothing will ever be better than the original one that started it all in my opinion.  

3 - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: I grew up as a child of television and books.  My mother introduced me to musicals and while I really could not appreciate most of them, I absolutely loved this one.  It was funny, yet serious.  It had such a sweet and caring undertone that one could not help but love the entire cast.  There were moments of frustration and moments of free thought.  The ending left you feeling really good about the future of the characters and you really felt as though you lived with the characters through all their ordeals.  To me this was one of Disney's best musicals...even best movie altogether.

4 - Facing the Giants: For all my talk of not liking sports, there are a few sports movies that I like. This is one of them, and it is not because of the sports, but the story behind it.  I have never felt so moved by a movie that contained any sport besides this one.  God plays a prominent role in our lives and it is very evident in this movie.  For a feel good, intellectual, and extremely satisfying movie, watch this one.  (Hint: If you have read the book "Fireproof" or seen the movie, you will most assuredly enjoy this movie.)

Four Things - Day 3

 

Day 3: Four beliefs/opinions

1. I believe in God.  Enough flack has been given to those that go to church or don't go.  Frankly, it all gets a bit tiring to hear.  I don't think our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, would want us to bicker over whether we attend a gathering of like minded individuals just to save our immortal souls.  I do not care for Sunday Christians or those that preach but don't practice.  In my eyes, and my heart, you are a Christian if you act the Christian part and tell others you believe in God but don't pressure them.  If they want to know more, God will open their mouths to ask for more of you; or will guide your own heart to the right thing to say to let that person know what is what about Him - and His Word.

2. Opinion - Dogs are better than cats.  Sorry cat lovers...this is just what I truly do believe. Dogs just seem to have more character in my eyes and they just touch my soul more.  When I look at a cat, I get the impression that they are staring down at me from a high perch saying something to the effect of "And just what do you think you are looking at?"  Dogs will always give you the love you need when you need it.  I just never got that love from a cat.  This little cartoon says it best in my opinion (although I think that they DO know our names.)

3. I never believed in love at first sight and, in a way, I still don't.  I DO believe that it is possible to feel something for someone you just met, but not Love.  I felt it when I first met Robin five years ago and then was disappointed when I didn't see her again for almost 2 years.  That feeling returned and was magnified when I did see her again and it made my whole world so much better.  It reaffirmed my belief in God and how He has His hands in our lives at all times. For those that don't know the story of Robin and I, you can read it here on my wife's blog.

4. I believe in letting a person be private.  What I mean by this is if a person desires to be alone or away from others, let them.  Don't pressure them or try and make them do what they don't really want to do anyway.  They could come to resent you for it.  Give people the privacy and the right to make their own decisions and don't try to make it for them. When advice is wanted, most will seek it out.  Don't give it if it isn't asked for.  I admit this is a failing of mine at times.  I find myself giving unwanted advice and for some reason, I just can't shut my mouth fast enough to let my brain catch up and warn me to stop.  It hasn't gotten me into trouble...yet.  But, I have known of those that have gotten into hot water over the words or "guidance" they have offered up.  Let a person be private and run their own life.  They don't live yours, why would you want to live theirs?

Four Things - Day 2

 

My wife over at atfouroclock.com started a challenge that I decided to join in on.

Day 2: Four Fictional Characters

1 - Lara Croft: Ok, so I am a geek guy and I love video games.  I really don't care for the tough as nails, all balls to the wall girl in most things, but Lara Croft is just awesome and cool.  I never could understand the sex appeal, but as a character, she turned out to be very deep and extremely well put together mentally.  Her story has been told in so many different ways and with so many different styles that it is hard to completely understand it, but overall, I found it enthralling and entertaining.  I think the whole exploration of tombs and ancient history and legends in conjunction with her history made her a much more viable and fun character. 
     What ruined her story the most was the fiasco's they called movie adaptions.  I just can't attest enough to the horrible way the studios went about putting these movies together.  From what I understand, there is another movie in the works (source) based off the latest outing of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2013 and I really hope they do better with it.

 (source)

2 - Chewbacca: Big. Hairy. Loyal. Strong.  What's not to love? This is the most true and trusted friend of any character I can imagine.  Think about all the crap that he goes through by Han Solo's side and all the trouble he got into because of who he knows....and he stays around.  Just, WOW! 
     My wife tells me that Chewie actually stays by Hans side because he owes Han Solo a life debt.  I was not aware of this and it makes sense.  I still prefer to think that Chewie hangs with Han because he truly, genuinely cares for the scoundrel.

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3 - Blade: I recently (within the past year) completed a series of books by T.C. Southwell called The Queen's Blade and was enthralled by the level of detail and amount of depth that went into all the characters, but particularly into Blade, (Lord Conash).  He was such a thrilling and unique character and I was so torn and upset many times reading this series by the hell this man went through.  But all he endured only made him stronger and more efficient at what he does.  His story is told in a series of 8 books (two of them prequels, **Note: Read the prequels after the original series as they give away some of the story and will not make the original series as entertaining**).  His loyalty to his views and then, later, to his friends make him so very interesting.  If you like to read and have an e-reader, I suggest going to the link above and getting the first book.  (It's free for the first book of all T.C. Southwells' series.)

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4 - Caramon and Raistlin Majere: Ok, so I know that I am supposed to pick one character for each of these but, anyone who knows these characters, knows that you can't really talk about one without the other.  These were twins that were introduced to me through the Dragonlance Chronicles back in high school.   Their story was so deep and involved that they were given their own series of books called The Time of the Twins.  Both Chronicles and Time of the Twins was written by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis.

     Caramon, the big, burly, handsome one of the two, seems to be slow witted and dense but is actually quite smart and caring with a gentle side that would make most people look clumsy in comparison.  His loyalty to his brother borders on the fanatical as he felt responsible for Raistlin in every imaginable way.  Caramon even puts his own feelings for others, even in matters of the heart, to the back burner many times in support of Raistlin. As you can imagine, this leads to many problems and conflicts, manifesting both physically and mentally.  

     Raistlin is just the opposite of Caramon.  He is sickly and weak but smart as a whip and deems himself above everyone else due to this intelligence, including his brother.  However, he knows that he could never survive without his brother.  Atleast, not at first.  I can't divulge too much in this regard as it would give the story away.  Suffice it to say that eventually, Raistlin comes into his own strength, albeit of the mind. Deep down, though, Raistlin loves and cares for his brother and these feelings make him feel weak himself.

     The way these two characters compliment each other makes you think of one whole person that was actually broken into two parts and if the two were ever molded back together, that one individual would be a force to be reckoned with.

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Four Things - Day 1

 

My wife over at atfouroclock.com started a challenge that I decided to join in on.

Day 1: Four likes and four dislikes

Likes

1- Reading : I like to read.  Hands down, reading to me is the single best experience to "get away from it all".  It is my Calgon, my escape from reality.  I still recall the very first book I ever read from cover to cover.  It was "Charlotte's Web".  I remember being so proud of myself at finishing it that I wanted to read more and more.  I became a reading machine.  I read books like others ate, ( and at times I even read instead of eating.) It truly became a passion that I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of.  To me, my toy store was the local bookstore growing up.  I would take paperbacks in to be traded and get new books.
Of every book I have ever read though, the one that stands out to me as my all time favorite is "Hobgoblin" by John Coyne.  It was and still is an amazing book in my opinion.  Every time I go to a used book store, I look for a copy of it as it is out of print now.  I have owned multiple copies of this book in my life but currently only have one.  For a synopsis of it, you can go here.

 

(source: here)

2- Video Games : I have always loved video games.  It is another form of escapism for me.  I remember going to see my uncle and playing Wishstone on his Amiga computer.  It was a text based game and I was enthralled by it.  I played it for hours and hours, trying to solve the puzzles.  I never finished it, much to my dismay...but I still have great memories of playing it. 

Now, I don't play much else besides World of Warcraft (WoW).  This game has had its share of flack in the 8+ years it has been out and I don't totally disagree that it can be very addicting, but it is also a very well developed and well thought out game rich in detail and story.  Some people get completely addicted to it so much so that it runs their lives in every aspect.  "Go out with friends...." Bah, why bother, all their friends are in WoW.  Not me...although I will admit that I can get sidetracked by it...I will always say and believe that my best friend is here beside me every day...my wife.  

3- Movies : Starting to see a pattern here? Ya, me too.  I guess I like a lot of various forms of entertainment. Movies tend to show me emotion rather than just read about it.  I love a well done saga like Lord of the Rings or Roots or Star Wars.  I enjoy musicals like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.  My wife introduced me to a favorite, The Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler.  I think that, given a choice between a good modern movie and a classic, however, I would stick with the classics.  Ten Commandments and Cleopatra were very well done sweeping epics that just enthralled me, even as a kid.

4- Coffee : Must have coffee.  I cannot function without my coffee.  I grew up getting my mother coffee everyday and when I was twelve, I was allowed a cup. I remember how bitter and awful it tasted.  I remember my mother laughing at the face I made and then she doctored it with a bit of sugar and cream.  I was in love with it since then.  My current favorite is a good cup of coffee with sweet cream that you buy at Publix grocery store.  It is not too sweet with just a hint of milk. 

Oh, and my wife makes a mean cup of joe! She is so perfect for me. 

 

(source: seen on various sites)

Dislikes

1- Know-It-Alls : If you have read the post I made "What/ Who is "Kho" and who am I?" then you know what I mean when I say this.  I cannot stand someone that knows everything about everything.  It drives me nuts.  You know the person I'm talking about...the one that has shaved faster than you because they found that secret way of doing it and refuses to tell you.  These people are "one uppers", always doing things better, faster and with more panache than you or anyone else on the planet.  

If they were so perfect at everything and know everything, then why is that person working a job making minimum wage?

Hell, if I was that damned smart and savvy then you can bet your one dollar to my millions that I would have that I would not be working so friggin hard to eat.

2- Moochers : "Hey buddy, can I borrow a dollar?" Sure, if I have it, you can borrow it.  I don't mind loaning money to someone, giving them a ride, helping with moving, etc...but when payback is due, don't leave me hanging.  If you say you will pay me back, do so. I've needed to borrow money before too and it is a humbling feeling to have to ask.  I always try to make sure I pay it back though.  

Oh, and say "Thanks" when you get the loan AND when you pay it back.  I can't stand those that mumble a quick thanks when they get the money and then act like you are ripping them apart when they hand the payment back to you.  I'm not a bank, I don't charge interest...say thanks for that at least.

3- The Twilight Series: Enough said.

4- Drugs : I guess you could call caffeine a drug, but at least it's legal.  I'm talking the illegal stuff.  I have/had friends and family that did drugs and, while I didn't like it, I let them do it.  I just don't want it around me or my family or in my home.  I have an aversion to illegal drugs...it's called "I don't want to go to jail." and also that I don't really think it is an expense or necessity for me.   If you enjoy it, so be it...just keep in mind that I don't want to be a part of it.

Elemental Challenge

So my wife over at atfouroclock.com introduced me to challenges.  She showed me this one challenge where I have to write about a different element for fifteen installments (she found it here).  They are as follows:

1-Fire
2-Earth
3-Air
4-Water
5-Electricity
6-Light
7-Poison
8-Darkness
9-Bubbles
10-Ghosts
11-Blood
12-Heart
13-Sand
14-Time
15-Space

I decided to do this in a form of stories called "Elemental Lessons".  I hope you enjoy them.

DAY 1: FIRE - Element of Passion

     “Come boy, let’s sit here by the fire and talk a bit.”  Creg sat slowly into his chair, his long legs tucking back beneath the wooden frame with protesting pops and cracks.

     “But there is no fire!” Remus shot the old man a look as though he had gone daft.

     “Not yet, boy!”  He pulled his pipe off the table beside him and proceeded to fill it with his harsh smelling tobacco.  Once that was done, he glanced up at Remus from under his shaggy brows and said, “Well, there won’t be a fire until you get one going!”  He motioned with a wave of his hand in an irritable fashion and then popped the stem of his pipe into his mouth, not yet lighting it.  He then leaned back his head and closed his eyes as though he had all the time in the world.

     Remus just shook his head and turned, pulled his coat down and went out to fetch the wood for the fire.  He had been with Creg just three months, having come by the request of his parents, to be taught herbs and lore under the old apothecary.  So far all he had learned was what calluses were and how it was possible to split a fingernail on a sponge while washing dishes.

     He walked the path to the woodshed and pulled out an armload of wood and lugged it back to the shack that Creg called home.  “What a piece of dung!” whispered Remus.  He had started to think of running away.  Looking out at the woods, the darkness of night just creeping in, he felt that thought crawling back into his mind. Then he shook his head to clear the idea away.  His parents paid good money for him to be here and Creg would teach him something…if nothing else, how to keep a clean home.

     Sighing, he turned back and went inside.  Creg seemed not to have moved, his eyes closed and his lips still firmly planted around the stem of his pipe.  Remus dumped the wood in front of the fireplace and then pulled out a handful of shavings from the basket to one side.  As he set the tinder in place, he heard Creg groan.

     “Ah, finally back, huh? Was thinkin’ you had gotten lost.”  The old man smiled, his teeth yellowed from tobacco stains but still straight and even.  After he had adjusted in the chair, he leaned forward, propping one arm on his knee and shaking his pipe in the direction of the fireplace.  “Do you know fire, boy?”

     Remus turned to look at Creg.  He pondered the question for a moment.  Sometimes the old man asked him totally off the wall questions that usually ended up in a long discussion of nothing important. However, they did cause him to work his mind a bit and Remus, unlike some his friends from the village, actually liked to think.

     “No, I don’t.”  He stammered a bit and then said, “Well, that is to say, I do sir, but only that it is hot, is fed by wood and can cook things.”

     Creg chuckled. “True, boy, true.”  He motioned towards the fireplace.  “What you have there is the beginnings of a fire. It is the start of something that can create and destroy.”

     “But how can something do both?”

     “Well, let’s start with the tinder.  You see how the small bits are used, right?”  Creg handed him a match.  With a flick of his wrist, Remus saw the quick flash and then the subtle orange that flickered on the end of the match.  He leaned forward and touched it to the wood shavings.  The tinder caught and proceeded to smolder then flare into tiny licks.

     “Now watch the tinder as it burns. See how each piece is taken by the flame and then consumed?” Remus nodded.  “This is creation and destruction.  By burning each thin strip of wood, you get more and more fire.  When you add the larger pieces of wood…” Creg motioned towards the pile of sticks and Remus proceeded to add a few to the pile.  “…the flame that was started by the tinder starts to eat at them and thus you have the beginning of a wondrous, and yet, relaxing fire.”  As he said this, the orange and white tendrils began to snake over the dry wood, slowly eating at each stick and soon a crackling could be heard as the wood began to burn.

     “Fire is very much like people.”  Creg leaned back, his smoking pipe clenched in one of his gnarled hands.  “When we are born, we are like tinder, waiting for the touch of something to set us aflame, something that makes us who we are.” He paused as he stared at the fire. “When that ‘something’ touches us, we begin to feel as though our world is growing, much like the flame growing on the tinder.  Our world begins to expand and we seek more fuel for our thoughts, more wood to burn and extend our life.”

     “With me so far, boy?” 

     Remus looked from the fire to Creg, his face red from being so close to the fire.  He nodded and Creg continued. “Just as we add wood to the fire to let it grow, so God puts experiences into our path so that we may grow.  These experiences can be many things.  They can be other people, trials that shape us, happy moments that we desire to remember….anything.  Our life is one big fire and it is only ours alone.  My fire is mine and yours is yours.” 

     “But, if God is the one feeding our ‘fires’, as you call them, then would he not share our fire with us?”  Remus asked.

     “Ah-ha! Very good, boy!”  Creg beamed at him. “God does share our fires.  He is the one that makes sure our fires don’t go out until He is ready for them too.  He keeps piling more wood on us to make us grow.  Soon we are a force to be reckoned with, just as a very large bonfire is.  However, it is up to us, as the fire, to learn what can be burned through and what can’t be.  This is experience. As we learn what can and cannot be done in our lives, we are like fire in that we learn what can and can’t be burned.” 

     Remus nodded slowly, contemplating the idea.  For a few minutes they sat together watching the fire.  Remus added more wood and there was a sudden cracking sound as one of the other pieces broke due to the flame.

     “Then there are moments in our lives where we seem to have learned all we can on a matter and we seek other avenues to experience, other pieces of wood to burn through.”  At this, as if on cue, the new wood caught and began to burn.

(Source: freefoto.com)

     “Love is one such experience in our lives that can burn us inside and out.  It can create us and destroy us.  It is a passion unto itself and some even call it a fire of the soul.  See that large piece of wood, the biggest one you brought in….yes, that one, put that one in the fire.”

Remus placed the four inch round log onto the fire and the other branches and wood crumbled beneath it.  Sparks flew and there was a hiss as it settled into place.

     “Love is like that.  It causes all our other experiences in life to either be pushed aside or scattered.  There are still memories of them, but the love we feel is the largest and most important part of us.  It can be the love we feel for another, or the love we feel for a hobby.  It can be love of reading, writing, art, or even the love of ones’ self.  Every single person eventually has this part of their fire take precedence over all else.  It becomes the largest part of their lives.”

     Remus turned and looked at Creg. “But what if you love more than one thing?  Would that not be more than one large piece in the ‘fire’?”

     “Why yes, yes it would.  That is why our lives, unlike this fire, is more akin to a roaring bonfire.  We, as people experience all this love and passion so our lives flare frequently…and at times, often.”

     There was a long spell of silence then as the two watched the fire burn.  Remus felt his eyes grow heavy and he leaned back, propping himself on his arms.  He let out a yawn and looked over at Creg.  The old man was staring intently at the fire, his sapphire blue eyes glinting through the smoke of his pipe.  He saw the lines etched in Cregs’ face and wondered at the fire which burned within the elder. As if reading his mind, and with a suddenness that shook Remus out of his musings, Creg spoke.

     “I have had two great loves in my life, two huge logs that took over my fire, if you will. One is my love of the medicinal world.  I love the fact that God has given us the world and the cures for almost all that ail us, lie in this world if we know where to look.”  Creg smiled a small smile at nothing in particular.  Then, in a small, whispered croak, he said, “The other was my wife.”

     That last revelation shocked Remus.  He had never thought of Creg as the marrying kind.  For all of his thirteen years, he had only ever known the old man as a loner and only called on to help the sick and infirm.

     “Ah, but enough of that.”  Creg shook his head and sat forward, shaking his pipe at Remus.  “Can you tell me, boy, what the final stages of a fire represent in our lives?”

     He thought about it for a bit and even closed his eyes to better picture the fire and how it would end up a pile of cold ash by morning, no trace of the wood, tinder or flame to be found.  After a while, Remus just shook his head.  “Honestly, I can’t.  I at first thought we would end up as nothing…but then that would not be true.  A fire, when it is done, is ash…and we use the ash in our garden.”
      “Quite true, boy.  When a fire is dying, we see embers.  In our case, as people, we have our memories of our life.  Those memories are our embers.  They are still hot within us and if a new experience comes along, just as a new piece of wood added to hot coals, we could have a new flame in our lives.  Eventually, though, embers die completely, just as we do.  We are left with ash.  We take the ash and scatter them in our garden to help with the growing of our herbs.  Thus life begins anew.  God takes us in his time and when he does, we become one with the earth and our bodies become as ash.  We are not forgotten because we have left something of ourselves behind.  That can be a legacy that others learn from, such as me teaching you and you carrying on my work once I am gone.”

     Suddenly Remus became concerned.  He felt a panic threaten to fill him at the loss of Creg.  Sure the old man was annoying at times and, as far as he could tell, Creg had yet to teach him anything of real import…

     …or had he?

     “Was this a lesson?”

     Creg looked at him, a small smile on his face. “Well, that depends, boy.”  He tapped his pipe into his hand and tossed the dregs into the fire.  Standing slowly, he turned and began to walk away.  Stopping just before going into his room, he looked back. “Are you going to use tonight to help your fire grow?”

     Remus just looked at him.

     “Be sure to bank the fire before you go to bed would you?”  With that, Creg shut his door, leaving Remus to his thoughts.