Isaac and I cook a meal on the campfire while
the family watches on. If you don't have a fire
pit on your property, get busy!!
We had a few family members over the other day for a cookout only to discover that they had spent next to no time in their lives around a campfire. When it came to making s'mores, we found that it was the first time they had ever made one. Thirty-five years of life and never a s'more!! Are you kidding me? We love these family members very much and missing out on this very basic family function isn't necessarily their fault, but once it is realized it must be fixed.
Then, we accepted a family invitation to a neighbors place a half mile up the road for hamburgers and hot dogs on a warm summer evening. I spent my time by a grill with the other men talking and laughing and wondering to myself, "Holy Moly, this man has no clue how to flip a burger." Again, this was a very nice family, but he admitted openly to the other men present that this was his first time to grill. I almost vomited in my mouth. It only got worse. A man in his sixties also surrendered to the truth and said he had never turned a hot dog or burger in his life. You talk about being sheltered!! These guys were past their prime and heading for blue-hair city and were willing to admit in public that they hadn't grilled. After eating the burgers, it was easy to believe he was a novice.
The fact is, some people are raised differently and never have an option to build a fire, invite friends over and sit around talking and eating into the night. I feel sorry for them and their families. Seriously, they miss out on a social activity that is very valuable on many different levels.
My father and mother would take us to the lake or deer hunting or to the mountains and our time there was always accompanied by fire. It served as a stove, an oven, a night light, a heater, a conversation starter, a science lesson, and a toy. I know everyone always says don't play with fire, but I say play safely with fire. Man did I ever learn great lessons about the dangers of fire. I have set ablaze fences, fields, and valuable goods. I know the power of fire and how fast it can spread. I fear fire, but I love it. We would hunt when the nights were so frigid you thought you would die--and we would have if it weren't for the fire. We would take the large rocks from around the campfire and wrap them in sheets or a shirt and then sleep with it at the end of our sleeping bag. My brother and cousin once urinated in the campfire only to be beaten within an inch of their life. I think my favorite thing is the time talking and sharing and laughing around a campfire. You can't replace those times--just sitting back and staring into the flames listening to a tall tale or hilarious family story.
If you have the room on your property, build a fire pit. They are all different, so it doesn't matter what yours looks like. A few hints: don't build it directly under low trees, make it large--at least 6 feet in diameter, and gasoline is a dangerous lighter fluid--I have pictures to prove it.
