On Fires

A brief note on fires — bonfires, campfires, any controlled fire.

It's hard to overstate the natural ambient energy of a fire.

The best nights are often those spent around fires.

There is something about them. The warmth in the dark, the crackling of the air, the scent of the wood, the dance of the flame. It is captivating. It invites presence. And people are present at them. It slows people down. It quiets people down. It awakens this natural desire to share stories and to contemplate being. I don't know what it is, but it seems to activate some latent and primitive nature within us.

Fires are one of those real shortcuts to mindfullness — even just tending to the fire, feeding it logs, requires a modest mindfullness.

Fires are one of the only compelling antidotes for screens.

Fires are the center of attention, so people don't have to be.

A fire with friends is a good place to be.