Fire: The First Skill
Controlling and harnessing fire is the foundation of every human endeavor, from cooking food over an open pit to launching a satellite into space. Along with water, food and shelter; fire is a necessity. It is doubtful if anyone can live long without it.
In the industrialized world we have shielded ourselves from the flames that power our societies. We have encased them in metal and called them engines or bullets. We no longer feel the heat, smell the smoke or are smudged with the soot of our fires. This is a shame because not only can a familiarity with fire enhance your life, it could one day save it.
A man who can master fire can master his environment. This series of articles touches on the skills involved in and the uses of fire. Like most of
life’s foundational principles they are not difficult, but neither are they instinctual.
In the industrialized world we have shielded ourselves from the flames that power our societies. We have encased them in metal and called them engines or bullets. We no longer feel the heat, smell the smoke or are smudged with the soot of our fires. This is a shame because not only can a familiarity with fire enhance your life, it could one day save it.
A man who can master fire can master his environment. This series of articles touches on the skills involved in and the uses of fire. Like most of
life’s foundational principles they are not difficult, but neither are they instinctual.