There's something about the smell of smoke that does nothing but trigger good memories for me. It makes me think of home, fire pits and barbecues. The instant I get a whiff of it, memories start rolling through my mind, and I'm immediately put at ease with everything around me. It's just a peaceful smell.
Today, as I was hiking through a campground in the Osage Hills, I caught a whiff of smoke (the good kind; not the house/grass fire kind), and like I said above, my mind immediately flooded with memories, and I was put in a super great mood. It seemed to make the hike 10x better, and as the memories flooded my mind, so did lots of other thoughts about smoke and fire.
I just think there's something about fires that are super unique compared to other sorts of light. Think about it, if you and a group of friends lit a fire, whether it be a campfire, fireplace or fire pit, it automatically makes your hangout sessions about 100x better than it would be with no fire. Can you imagine just sitting around with a group of friends in front of a florescent light? I can't. It wouldn't be any fun; however, as soon as you add a fire into the mix, things get good. Fires are just better than lights. Fires provide heat, they can be used to cook on (S'MORES!), they provide a nice crackle for background noise and the flames provide mind-numbing entertainment as they dance around better than any exotic dancer ever could. There's just something about fires that take things up a notch.
When I think about fires and why they might be so special, I just think about how many thousands of years fires have been burning. They've been going since like the beginning of time, and when we, as members of the 21st century, get to participate in an activity such as campfire that's been going on since the beginning of the world as we know it, it's a special feeling for us, whether it's in our subconscious or not. It's something that all of the human race has participated in, and getting to see the light and feel the warmth of the flames may be somewhat of a reminder and nostalgic feeling all humans can relate to in some form or fashion.
Where there's smoke, there's fire, and where there's fire, there's warmth, memories and light (again, talking about the good kind of fires; not the bad kind). Don't take for granted one of this world's greatest, simplest gifts. Take some time in the next couple of weeks to step back to the caveman days and build a fire to enjoy with some people you love. Start up the fireplace and sit around it, fire up the grill and cook over an open flame or grab some firewood and head out to a local camp ground and enjoy a campfire. You won't be disappointed and neither will your ancestors.
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: Flames > Florescents