Burning Bushes

Once upon a time 3 young scouts set out to have a weekend camping trip in a nearby field. They pitched their tent, played in the stream, made a bridge and got bored. So off they went to the High's Dairy Store to buy gum and candy.

Yes, they dared to walk along that fateful road, having learned nothing from previous experience. Upon their return, they discovered their peaceful campsite ransacked by another tribe of juvenile barbarians. So it goes.

Time came in the afternoon to make the campfire and it just seemed too difficult to dig through the field grass when one member forgot everything he had been taught and came up with the brilliant idea to simply burn through it. But ho. The grass did not burn straight down in a nice small campfire-sized circle. It spread.

The 3 scouts ran like hell to the stream and back many times but could not control the fire. Tent burned, eggs cooked in their shells, dogs and cats living together. Basically - a catastrophe of biblical proportion. And then the sirens came, and the firefighters and the entire field went up in smoke.
So it goes.

The 3 scouts figured death by parents and/or the authorities would surely come next. How could amends ever be made? And to face the troop and have to tell this tale of total incompetence? But the 3 scouts were as brave as they were stupid. They stood their ground and were prepared to meet their maker as the field's owners came forth with the captain of the firefighters. Perhaps, they soiled themselves in anticipation. It wasn't far off. The owner came forward.

"Thank you boys, for burning off the field. We do it every year." So it goes.

Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be

If a good AC/DC song doesn't rock you, well...pretty much nothing does.  And if you ever get a chance to see a 'Rockumentary' type salute to the band, check it out. A story of a hard life, near immolation and resurrection.

The band took off in 1974 with Bon Scott as the front man, but it was the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young that were the real engine. When Bon Scott died at the age of 33, his official cause of death was listed as "acute alcohol poisoning" and "death by misadventure".

Angus and Malcolm had the wisdom to learn from the misadventures they had witnessed. They came Back In Black.

Today we travel to the far-off Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan to see the fiery Darvaza gas crater, also known as "The Door to Hell". Legend has it that Russian geologists tapped into the cavern in 1971 and watched their rig collapse into a 30m deep pit that was leaking methane. What to do? Set it on fire of course! 40 years later, you still can't get within 2m of the 100m wide crater. It emanates a steady hum as the flames burn.

If it is indeed the door to hell, it's Hades house. Here's a guy who generally got the shaft in the image department. But he was actually pretty cool and doesn't deserve to be considered a villian. Sure he's got issues, but don't we all? Was it his fault he drew the short straw when Zeus and Poseidon drew lots? He's actually known for a lot of positive qualities and does his job well. AND he's got the cool Helmet of Invisibility, one reason why he is known as the Unseen One.

But did you know he was also known as The Good Counselor? Hades was responsible for helping the dead make a successful transition into the afterlife, introducing them to the riches of a life lived subjectively and internally, away from the distractions of the external world. Almost like the monastery. Hades teaches us to be quiet at times, listening carefully to the inner voices that direct us to the hidden riches buried deeply within the soul.

Of course you can do that without his help, and without paying the ferryman. Live a full life and learn from the misadventures of others. Rock on.