A Burning Fire

"I knew that I was financially ruined and that there was no way for me to get it back."

• Harvey Jackson
  

A Burning Fire

"We had a motel, a restaurant and a gas station. Things were just humming along and we were making so much money. Then, while I was at the motel one Sunday morning I heard some glass break. When I went to investigate I found that my business was on fire."

I felt as if I could actually feel the flames being described during the story. I could feel the pain as if I were watching my friend's life going up in smoke. But I wasn't. This had happened a long time ago. In fact, it happened in the 1970's. He was just viewing it through older eyes.

"We were located in a remote area. There was no fire department. There were no fire hydrants. The whole community came out to help. We fought the fire for hours, but we still lost everything. In the end, we might as well have just watched it burn."

That's when it hit me and a new thought was burned into my consciousness. Here was Harvey, the teller of this tale, standing in front of me.

"When it was over I surveyed the scene, looked over at my children and I knew I was the richest man in the world." He continued.

I looked at him standing there these many years later and I was struck by the fact that even though he had said that he had lost everything as he started telling the story, he had recognized right then and there, that he hadn't lost it all.

"Now that's a wonderful trait!" I said to myself. I was looking at a man who could have allowed himself to be crushed by this life altering event. He could have taken a full day. He could have taken a week or even years. He may have recovered just when his life was ending. But he didn't. He recovered his life in seconds; in less time than it took to destroy his business. That's what I'll remember most whenever I think of this man. I'll remember that what's most important in life is to have the brightest fire burning within you.