One-Match Pat Strikes Again

Turning What You Love into What You Do
By Patrick J. O’Connor

~An entry from “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up”~

In the November blog segment, “Grandkids are Great… for a Lifetime of  Laughs,” I shared some examples of the funny things our grandchildren do to enrich our lives. That same group of grandkids visited us over Thanksgiving, and guess what? More fun, Fluttery stuff happened, making more wonderful memories. Once again, young Chloe and Morgan saw something for the very first time… actually two things: real snow and real fire.

Many fireplaces have ceramic logs with a gas fire. These modern versions give off some heat and they are certainly convenient. They are so convenient that many homeowners with traditional fireplaces have converted them to gas-powered versions. But there are still those who prefer the original version of a fireplace, as we do.

I grew up with a daily fire through the winter. In summer, we would cut trees, saw and split wood to have it available for winter heat. As such, everyone in our family knew how to build and light a fire. The first one up on a wintry morning was responsible for getting the fire started and everyone made sure it was “stoked” all day long. In addition to using our fireplace for heat, it created a nice ambiance and aroma. Our current fireplace is in a downstairs room that gets a bit of a chill on winter days, which the fire removes. 

A First Fire
When our grandkids visit over Thanksgiving, they always wish for snow since they never see any in Florida. This year, they got their wish as it was  cold, and we had a dusting of snow. As such, it was cold enough to make a fire… the old-fashioned way… no fake logs or gas flame. The real deal. Real wood we cut and stacked ourselves. A real fireplace with smoke that went up a real chimney. They had never seen a “real fire” in a “real fireplace,” much like they had never seen a clothesline or an ice scraper. I told Chloe and Morgan we would make a fire in the fireplace. They asked, “How would we do that?” I said, “I’ll show you and you can help.” “Let’s do it!” they said.

We gathered up all the necessary fire requirements… newspaper, cardboard, twigs and sticks of various sizes, and of course, logs. I showed them how to stack everything according to size so the fire could start small and get  bigger as it progressed upward. They were very intrigued as I guided them to tear up the newspaper and place all the fire ingredients into the fireplace. We assembled a five-star fire and were ready to light it. That’s when I told them my fire-starting nickname is “One-Match Pat”. “Why is that?“ they asked, and I said, “You will find out in a minute.” 

I showed them the wooden matches I would use to start our fire. Again, like a clothesline and ice scraper, they had never seen wooden matches before. Wooden matches were once very common and a staple in virtually all homes and businesses. 

The Humble Match
They were invented in 1827 and, at the time, were considered a major innovation… almost revolutionary. In fact, Akron and Wadsworth, Ohio were major centers of match manufacturing. 

Matches were used for fires, candles, campfires, gas stove burners, lanterns and other items. They are just a small piece of wood with a phosphorus-coated tip. When the match is struck against a rough surface, friction causes the phosphorus to ignite and the match to burn. This simple process was referred to as “striking a match.” As with many items, matches were replaced with more efficient products. Hard to believe anything could be more efficient than a match, but propane lighters have pretty much replaced them these  days. 

I told Chloe and Morgan the reason my fire-starting nickname was “One-Match Pat” is because I can light a fire with just one match. Hardly a big deal (especially to children) but when matches were as scarce as they once were, lighting with just one match was noteworthy. 

So, with all ingredients ready, I said, “Watch as I strike this one match and light our fire.” They watched as the newspaper started to slowly burn, then the cardboard ignited, which then ignited the small sticks we placed on top of it. Their eyes grew bigger as the fire progressed, getting to the logs on top of all the starter stuff. They began to hear the wood crackling and wondered what the sound was. I explained that, as the fire and wood heat up, crackling is the sound of oxygen gases and moisture heating and releasing from the wood. It meant the fire was “catching” and we were on our way to our nice, warm fire. 

Lasting Memories
They seemed impressed, though maybe they were just humoring their Pop-Pop. We had an award-winning fire that warmed up the entire room. They loved the aroma and the crackling of the burning fire. For our grandkids, this Thanksgiving came with their first snow and their first real fire. As we enjoyed our successful fire, I said to them, “One-Match Pat strikes again!”