“You have the fire too high!” my mother used to say whenever the smoke detector went off as I would cook on the stove. As I reflect on those years, I cannot recall hearing the smoke detector alarm when she was cooking in the kitchen. Today, I take the precautionary measure and cook with a lower flame. This may require some extra time in the kitchen, but it gives me greater control over the flame and a higher level of safety that could save my life along with others in my household.
Just like a flame, things can get out of control in our lives if we don’t practice safety measures. For instance, do you rush to make an important decision to make? As a safety measure, take the time to think it through your options. Do not rush to finalize important matters, so you can reach the best outcome.
Any type of environment with a fire can become potentially dangerous. Therefore, your position does not make you safe; the way you behave in a particular situation determines your safety. Let’s consider a different scenario outside the kitchen, like a backyard campfire. At any moment, the wind may cause the flames of your campfire to veer quickly in several directions. So, you would need to practice safety and have a fire extinguisher or other equipment in case things get out of hand.
I hope you will join me on this journey and choose to implement precautionary measures inside and outside the dangerous environments (i.e. kitchens) of your life. You might have to take an extra 10 or 15 minutes to complete the home-cooked meal. At other times, you may have to remove yourself from sitting for hours to watch a favorite show and spend quality time to think about a decision.
Do you find it difficult to adjust the flames of life?
What is your response when you feel out of control in a situation? Let me share a vivid memory from my childhood. As a young girl, I had very little control over my surroundings. I lived in Chicago, but my grandmother lived in the country and had her own mini farm. She raised livestock and grew vegetables to feed her family. One summer, we went to visit my grandmother and she asked lucky me to feed the hogs. Now, keep in mind that I was a city girl; I had no experience feeding any type of farm animals. I kept wondering why she chose me to accomplish such a task. Despite my lack of experience, I had to accomplish this task because I was not allowed to question her authority. So, I listened for my instructions, and I went to feed the hogs. This truly was one of the most humbling experiences of my entire life. As a little girl from Chicago, I had never smelled anything so horrible. Yet, I had to suck it up and get the job done.
I often reflect upon my grandmother’s lifestyle. People of her time had to learn how to survive, raise their own food and, like a real fire, keep control of whatever came their way. Sometimes, they only had a few options because their lifestyle was a matter of survival. One day of not feeding those hogs could have created some serious problems for my grandparents. There were always numerous tasks to accomplish on a mini farm, and that left my grandparents with no choice but to have plans and schedules. Their practice of organization and control was necessary to ensure that all responsibilities were carried out.
Takeaway
So, the next time you are in the kitchen, outside at a campfire, or happen to be on a farm, I hope you will remember this article and the advice. Choose to live daily to control the literal and figurative fires in your life by putting in place any necessary safety measures. Remember, the lack of protective behavior can suddenly leave you in a very dangerous situation.
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