TheUtmostTrouble TheUtmostTrouble

Ignitor

About 3 years ago I was introduced to a man named Ric. Ric was a family friend who he had paved his own path to success in life. My first conversation with him went so well he offered me a job working around his house doing labor. As you can imagine 14 years old kid was pretty ecstatic about earning money. Over the first winter I really earned and gained his trust, and it was likewise. I learned how to do a lot of things like sanding, gun cleaning, and snow blowing. But nothing could get me ready for Novembers fire.

Lets set the tone here. It was a very cold Nov morning the week of thanksgiving. I was working like I did every Sunday. But this morning felt different I almost didn’t go cause I wasn’t feeling well, but I stuck it out. My goal today was to collect the brush and burn it in the fire pit. Let me remind you that it’s cold, and it had rained the night before so starting a fire was no easy task. I tried the lighter, nothing. I tried the oil, nothing. So, like all destructive people I grabbed the gasoline out of the shed. This tank was 2 and a half gallons full just to set that in your mind. I walked over to the fire pit which was a giant circle and threw some gas on the flame. What I didn’t know was about to happen was me tripping on a rock falling back, and the gas making a trail all the way to the can. As I’m on the ground all I can see is the flames on the rocks and the ground. I still had the gas can in my hand, I had never run as fast as I did that day. As I turned around the can was on the ground with 15-foot flames coming out of it. Gas all over my hands, I ran into the house and told Ric. Who grabbed the fire extinguisher, and was able to reduce the fire, but for the rest, we had to let it burn

After a destroyed lawn, and a burnt tree. My initial thought was he was gonna be mad, but Ric being the wise patient person he is let me learn for this experience. I went home that day and thought a lot about how lucky I was, and it made me want to think my decision through more than I ever had before. It was a pivotal point in my life to learn.

Photo on Foter.com

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2 Comments

  • ibell20
    March 4, 2020 at 9:39 am 

    I really enjoyed reading this story! It’s good and important that you took a lesson from this. Because it goes to show that in life sometimes we’ll make mistakes that can have disastrous consequences, but it’s important to always get back up and handle the consequences of our actions. Another thing that can be taken away from this experience is that sometimes when certain things are uncontrollable that it’s okay to either run away, handle the problem, or accept it for what it is.

  • cvalliere20
    March 27, 2020 at 12:21 pm 

    I recall you telling me this story when it first happened, and reading it again reminded me of how much you were freaking out that day. Also you did a great job retelling the story and including some key details in there that would have been easy to miss.

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