I have often been struck by the power, or rather the powerful meaning, of a phrase. Phrases such as “He who laughs last, laughs loudest,” or “Fighting Fire with Fire.” In fact, even as a child I would ask what someone meant when they said someone else had a “Skeleton in the Closet,” or a “Yellow Belly.”
And so, I think, began my fascination with them. My Grandmother probably brought it about, as she had a phrase for everything, and it wasn’t necessarily the fact she knew them all, it was the place and time she used them. For instance, she would find herself in an impossible situation, and would simply say “Make Lemons with Lemonade!” and she would then go on the make the most of the situation she was in.
Growing up in Cockney London, I was surrounded by what I suppose are Phrases, “Cockney Rhyming Slang” such as Dog and Bone (Phone) or Apples & Pears (Stairs). Although my Mothers side of the family didn’t originate from London, they seemed to take them on easily, and even after moving away, still used them.
So it is with me, I seem to have taken on these Phrases, and I too use them in the appropriate situation. When I feel like I have been dealt a bad deal, I may feel angry about it, or I can say “Make Lemons with Lemonade,” basically…use what I DO have to make the situation better.
If I feel like someone has wronged me, I can say, “What Goes Around, Comes Around,” because it truly does, I believe. Whether it is Karma, or just Coincidence, I have often found that bad done to others comes back to the person who commited the deed, and yes, I have had it come back to me.
So I come to the Phrase in the title of this Blog; “Fighting Fire with Fire”. While I have lived my life with other Phrases in mind, I haven’t with this one, although I have done precisely that, when someone has metaphorically thrown Fire at me, I have thrown it back at them. That is when I got to thinking about it, and it just doesn’t make sense.
In the Elements, Fire always beats Water, doesn’t it?
Fire is aggresive, angry, fiery and spreads, consuming all in it’s Path. Water can be aggresive and angry too…but in this case, it can also flow smoothly, calmly and peacefully, diminishing fire and washing away the debris caused by the flames. It soothes the heat and leaves only the smoke to float upwards, until that too dispels and is gone. Water is constant, in one way or another. Whether it is condensation, or just water in a puddle, it is always there, in one way or another. Fire though, only comes into being when it is created either by us or nature.
So, if I am in a “fight”, what should I do? I should not respond. When someone calls me wicked names, or tries their hardest to upset me, I should throw that metaphorical water over them. Deny them the power to burn and to spread. Put them out and let them wash away. I will continue on my journey, just like the Water.
It isn’t that anything has happened that has made me think of this, it’s just that sometimes, when I have a moment to myself (which doesn’t seem often these days) I sit and ponder, and today I had one of those moments.
