Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

I love walking. LOVE walking. There are lots of reasons I walk. Yeah, it’s great exercise and it doesn’t pollute the environment, I get time to myself to think about things, clear my head, listen to music, etc. But the greatest thing about walking is the many opportunities I get to play Mini –Heroine. Like the time I plucked a small child from the gnashing teeth of the escalator (I did not save the shoe), or the time I helped a man carry a few of his six bags of luggage to the T stop, or helping the old man who picks up trash along the Salt & Pepper bridge while he walks home (see, others have found the joy of mini-heroism too), or just general holding doors open for mothers and baby-strollers, or just saying “hi” to the old man who sits on the porch everyday. I can’t describe it, but I suggest trying it the next time you’re out for a walk and you’ll know how fun it is.

My latest cape-donning crusade was last night in Harvard SQ. My friend and I had come out of the Co-op and was just walking along the sidewalk trying to avoid all the fresh graduates and their parents while we tried to discuss plans for dinner. I noticed a strong stream of smoke coming from the waste can on the sidewalk. We walked over to peer over the sides to see if there was actually a fire, or perhaps if a rat was lounging back having an after-dinner cigarette.
I could see the glowing edges of several pieces of paper and knew that it was going to ignite soon. I dashed into the gourmet chocolate and deli store and asked the young kid behind the counter if I could get a glass of water for the ignited garbage can. He excitedly looked out the window and grabbed a near-empty tub of Thousand Island dressing. He was trying to wash out the dressing to get me water, but I said the dressing isn’t flammable just give me the water.

An older woman came from behind the counter and with her thick East Boston accent started yelling about kids and the things they do. Just as she was approaching me to get to the door, and the counter kid was handing me the bucket, another older ‘woman’ came in to also demand a bail of water. ‘She’ (a very deep voiced ‘She’) grabbed the bucket of Thousand Island Water from my hands and went out side to put out the fire.

I dejectedly walked back to my friend who was waiting on the sidewalk. That was MY fire to put out!

Oh well. I haven’t had any mini-heroine opportunities yet today. Maybe I’ll go for another walk!