Little bit of a shock yesterday. I could have died. No, I don't mean in a general, abstract, metaphysical sort of way that yesterday, the 4th of January, 2011 is one of the as yet undetermined 24-hour periods in which I definitively cease to be the happy, running and jumping Sab you all know and humour. I mean I found myself in a scary situation where I wasn't in control of what was happening through ignorance - an ignorance which could have had very serious consequences.
I've just moved into a house with a real fire. Marvellous. But, like any move, there are boxes everywhere, and some old broken furniture which needs getting rid of.
Well after a lovely real blaze on the 31st, I was all fired up about fires, and pretty quickly had the clever idea to burn all the various panels and drawers and suchlike to not have to bother about throwing them out. And warm the house up into the bargain - genius.
Well, to cut a long story short, I innocently threw on some plastic-coated panels and nearly lost consciousness before realising what was happening and being able to get out.
My naivety was such that I twice went back in to check the fire and ventilate the place, and twice more nearly keeled over. And if I'd done that actually in the fume-intoxicated room, with the family out and not a soul around...
The thing that shook me most is how easily I could have gone. Through simply not knowing what was happening. I mean, I know death is coming one day, and I hope I'll be ready to accept it when it does, but I sure ain't ready to go just yet!
This sort of thing gets you thinking about mortality, and are you doing what you want to be doing right now, and have you shown your loved ones they are important to you recently.
I'm feeling ok now, but a tap on the shoulder reminding me that one day will be 'the' day can concentrate your mind wonderfully, and spur you on to being as productive and meaningful as possible. Perhaps just meaningful would be enough.
So I'll finish with a very heartfelt thank you to you personally for taking the time to read these words; I consider you closer to me than most for doing so, and I hope that by now you realise how sincerely I appreciate your support of any of my creative efforts, and I hope I will have the chance and pleasure to do the same for you.
Enjoy life. And rainbows...
(A Paris iPhone street photograph by Sab Will for the 'Paris and I' photo blog @ paris-and-i.parissetmefree.com )
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Rainbows Don't Last
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2 comments:
Just left this on the FB page but in case you miss it
Blimey Sab - sounds like a scary experience. Take it easy today Cx
Oddly, Le Parisien yesterday had a story of a man who had died when he lit a fire in his fireplace. He had not bothered to have the chimney swept at the beginning of winter and some gases had built up and exploded in his face. So, remember,Sab, a fireplace is a comforting thing - and beautifully romantic - but have the chimney swept now and again.
And there we were talking about tombs ...
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