Is there any irony in throwing your tri-tip steak into the smoker for dinner while the haze from a seriously lingering mountain fire lounges in your backyard? I think it shows a distinct lack of social and environmental gravity on my part. I probably should have served spaghetti or cold cereal in honor of all the rocks and trees getting singed up AF Canyon, and had a moment of silence for the frightened little woodland creatures.

The thing is, though, I don’t think anything has actually gotten hurt in this blaze-I mean beyond flora and fauna, which will rejuvenate. It’s too snail-slow. The flames have been lazing around the canyon for over a week now. Smoke has floated up, it has floated down, it has coated everything, and then retreated to dance like a lovely little reverse waterfall up to the heavens. It’s watered our eyes, itched our noses, and clogged our lungs. It has spent a stinkin’ lot of energy being self-important and drama-queen-y. Yet for all that brouhah, this conflagration has only burned, like, twenty-five acres.  

Twenty-five acres? Psh. That ain’t no real fire. We’ve had real fires. This pitiful burn should leave now. It just looks silly. 

Which brings up a thought. (Just one. I’m tired.) I don’t remember having all this weather/environment-drama when I was a kid. I mean, there was Hurricane Agnes. But our state has been on fire since June. Wickedly on fire. Evacuations, smoke damage, lost structures, apocalyptic sunsets. And throughout the rest of the country there’ve been floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and yeah, fires.

It’s crazypants. And shocking. And horrifying. And then we turn the page and look for the comics section.

I find it disturbing that we can get so used to disasters and wars and attacks and whathaveyou, that we barely lift an eyebrow when it happens again. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s not that we aren’t bothered. It’s that all this whackadoo-ness is now just part of life. 

I suppose we’re not that unique. Other societies and times have had infringing dangers they had to live with: forests overflowing with thieves. Threats of invading hordes. Illness, disease, not having Facebook or chocolate. Life has been peaceful for quite a long time now. Maybe the Earth has gotten bored and we’re just heading into a new era of excitement and discovery.

Well, if that’s the case it’s survivable. It’s been done. All we have to do is keep our eyes open, learn from everything that happens, and be willing to be flexible.

I think I’m going to keep a year’s supply of duct tape, toilet paper, and dark chocolate covered acai berries on hand, though. Just in case. As for the smoke? Eh. It could be worse. Smoke follows beauty, right? 

Hello gorgeous.

Janiel Miller is a wife/mom/writer/friend/singer/chauffeur/chef/connoisseur-of-movies/eater-of-chocolate/partaker-of-hormones/actress-when-I-can-find-time/learner-from-life who lives in American Fork. You can follow Janiel via Twitter, Facebook or her personal blog, janielmiller.com.