Young Men and Fire
In the Wall Street Journal, Adam Savage reviews William Gurstelle’s The Practical Pyromaniac. Gurstelle is also the author of Backyard Ballistics.
Key bit:
“I took my boys camping last summer. We drove a hair-raising set of muddy cliffside roads to a secluded campground in the middle of nowhere. We lit a fire and ate mediocre food and slept in a soggy tent and woke up in a puddle. What do they remember from that trip? The fire. Only the fire. All the sticks they burned in it. Watching it change as the evening wore on. Getting close and burning new things. Their fascination with our firepit is the foundation of all scientific discovery. This is, I believe, Mr. Gurstelle’s point, and he has explored it admirably.”
I think that fire — and fireworks — also are important because they give young people an experience of dealing with something dangerous at close hand, which in modern life isn’t common enough. Injuries are (usually) minor, but lessons are lifelong.
Categories: Books and Magazines
I have had similar experiences with kids and fishing. Younger children just seem to naturally love it.
I live on a small lake teeming with bluegill and smallmouth bass. They are pretty easy to catch with just a worm, hook, and plastic bobber.
Many times spending a weekend with friends I have taken otherwise bored kids and set them up by the waters edge with a simple spinning rod or a new pink Barbie fishing kit and spent the next few hours unhooking panfish and untangling lines. They will just keep going until its time for me to claim that we have used up all our worms, the fishies need a rest, and Uncle Spindok needs a beer.
Interesting that girls are especially enthusiastic and good at it. They have more patience than the boys although the boys will show more interest if there is some sort of boat involved.
Campfires always work with kids. Not only is there the fire but children have fun gathering firewood, breaking sticks, poking it, throwing on more wood, and other stuff they cant do at home or school.
There is something primeval about both activities. Maybe it is instinctual for children to learn these skills.
Fire is responsible for our large brains, small guts, and ultimately all civilization. It sure is nice to hear that some parents are letting their kids get some experience with primal technology.