Fire: Was It What They Missed All Along or Was It The Key To It All?

The last people who knew how to light a fire live among us in India and Iran. He is what we call a Zoroastrianist, and he is serious about it. It is not only his livelihood but also his first and foremost purpose in life. He believes what he does and does what he believes in. And all the while, he practices his faith while he does it.

Nobody suspected that AI would move in and make people so complacent in their ways. It began so simple and unassuming. A button to open your garage door or gate to your driveway. Then it was a remote for the television, so there was no need to get up to change the channel anymore. Then Google radio became a thing, and there was no need to turn that dial for your favourite listening station. It all happened so fast that people thought it was a good thing rather than a takeover of their health.

McDonald's started a trend of “Supersize” days, and other restaurants followed suit, leading to a competition for larger meals at lower prices. Soon enough, a change in the curriculum came along so that physical education was no longer mandatory in grade school or high school; in combination with the supersize generation, this meant that over half the population had become obese.

A generation of drinkers had given birth to a generation of drug abusers and drinkers, which meant that their propensity to be overweight became an everyday occurrence. AI enhanced all these issues by enticing the American population through its advertisements and stories. The marketing team for the studies failed to realize that a society that ate out for convenience more than it cooked at home, due to the affordability of the food, would experience a negative impact, exacerbated by their alluring marketing strategies and coupons.

Nobody got back to nature as often, and if they did, they trekked into the wild with fast-food garbage and left it where they hiked. It never occurred to the hikers that what they trekked in was what they had to trek out with. Hence, the generation of “NOT ME" polluters was born. Too many dilemmas piled up, and there were not enough norms to correct the wrongs. Parents were complicit in these wrongs and passed them on to their children, causing the behaviour to be learned.

Without knowing more than what their parents had taught them, these children believed their parents, not the teachers at school. Nobody understood why the parents sided with their children on disciplinary matters and not the teachers. The teachers were mere figureheads and were even challenged on their teaching methods and lesson planning as they pertained to the curriculum.

It all came to a head when those children became adults and wanted to celebrate their children’s birthdays and weddings, but no one in the house could light a match, and AI could not physically light a match either.

The group looked from person to person with large eyes and curious faces and hoped someone in the crowd might know. Once they had gone through the crowd and realized no one knew what to do, they were distraught. Saddened by the news that the candles would not be lit, they were loath to hold the party and sent everyone home. The child cried, and that pretty much killed the parents.

“Next year, my dear," Daddy promised, "we'll find someone to light the candles.” He smiled at his daughter, and then, as he turned away, his face went sour. Where would he find someone who could undergo such a feat? His abuela was too old and unable to tell them what to do since she hadn’t spoken in the past ten years.

He spent the next year putting AI advertisements out across the globe. All to no avail. He studied the annals of the libraries online to find anything he could about fire. He read about Ancient man and fire, and he travelled to the other side of the world from North America in search of the lost civilization and religious culture known as Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Iranian monotheistic religion focused on worshipping one creator, Ahura Mazda, upholding the cosmic order of truth (Asha) against chaos. Core beliefs include "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds," moral free will, and a final purification of souls. Fire is crucial, serving not as a god but as a sacred symbol of purity, light, and the wisdom of Ahura Mazda. (https://www.google.com/search?)

Only clean, dry, fragrant wood is to be placed in a fire.

Cooking pots must be kept a third empty to prevent the contents from spilling over and polluting the flames.

The fire should be kept 15 paces away from menstruating women.

A worshipper in a fire temple always faces the fire, wearing a mask to prevent saliva or anything else from ‘polluting’ the flames. (https://muslimskeptic.com/2022/02/02/the-strange-rules-of-fire-in-zoroastrianism/)

Nobody understood more than those guys. They kept the home fires burning for centuries, but they never bragged about it or let others get into their space about it.

Until Daddy went to find out all he could about how to light a fire for his baby’s next birthday candles.

Their commitment to “Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds” naturally led them to allow access to their community and way of life. It became a ritual that he was the one they called upon if they needed to start a new pot in a new colony or town.

Daddy went to see how it was done and collect fiery wisdom to return to his civilization as soon as he could. He saw the flint and the use of friction as ways to generate sparks that kept the flames going until a fire started and continued to burn. Once they mastered this technique, they took it as a sign that they were the chosen ones who needed to see fire as the way to enlightenment on their path to worshipping their god, Ahura Mazda.

Daddy remained until the day they granted him the gift of fire, and he returned in time to light the candles at his daughter’s birthday celebration. After that, he passed the candle to the next parent whose child was celebrating her birthday, and it continued to be passed around the world until the gift of fire remained with them for the rest of their days.

But man could not keep the fire alive; he could create flame instantly by striking a match, and that was man’s salvation. Since that time, men have perfected how to light a fire based on the purpose of the fire.