[I think I conditioned myself to get that aroma-induced headache. I remember spending a lot of time in that shop two summers ago working on a particularly difficult Flash assignment for an intro. web class. I am not very adept at web to begin with, so Flash was a headache unto itself. I thank a friend for all the help he gave, I got an 'A' thanks to him.]
So, today, I've patronized the local Panera. There is a big bonus to this Panera over the local coffee shop - a fireplace. It's making this incredibly dreary November day (chilly, low overcast skies, drizzle, windy) incredibly cozy instead. It's true, the fireplace isn't "real". There are real flames, but they're generated from gas around what I can only assume are ceramic logs.
Sitting here got me to thinking about many humans attraction to fire. Not a new subject, but it's still interesting to ponder how we, as humans, willingly bring a destructive force into our dwellings. Now in some countries this is because it is the main source for cooking food and/or heat. But in many, like here in the USA, it has become something that is comforting.
A lot of nostalgia can be generated with just the image of a fireplace. Especially around the holidays in the late fall and winter.
I am a nostalgic and romantic by nature and during these dreary days I find myself yearning to be next to a lit fireplace more often than anywhere else. I wonder if I'm the only one.
