Incendiary Containers

A while back I had seen that video on Facebook where the exposed terminals of a battery come into contact with the exposed terminals of another battery and whammo! A fire starts.  It scared the bejeezus out of me. I later learned that if a common household object made from metal comes into contact with battery terminals a blaze can also result. What? My house key and my AA batteries can start a fire! That was when I stopped mocking the plastic battery holders I had seen at the Container Store. 

    I bought this cutie a while back. It holds all my batteries, even when I buy an abundance of them in bulk at BJ’s. Sometimes they fall over, but the way the sections are set up, the terminals never come in contact with each other when they are askew. They sell similar ones at Walmart and Target, and all three stores had different sizes and shapes to accommodate lots of different needs and spaces. Surprisingly, they are similarly priced at each location.

     In addition, my township recycles batteries and I used to have them jumbled together in a pile, waiting for the yearly recycling day. Holy fire hazard, Batman! Now I keep them in a plastic container, and I tape the end of the battery before carefully placing it in. 

     So, just curious…what do you do when you experience something incendiary and you get fired up? From my kids sassing back to a workplace debacle, I’m becoming more aware of my need to do something to “contain,” or address, my emotions when I’m, for lack of a better word, about to blow. When pesky thoughts arise, I’m learning to recognize them for what they are (just pesky thoughts,) breathe through them, and not attach to what comes up, especially negativity. Not an easy task by far, but we all need to have our own way to put out the fire within. 

     Maybe your next Walmart run or Amazon order will include a container for your batteries so you can protect your home, but how we contain or confront those inside sparks so we can protect ourselves, our peace of mind, and the peace of those around us, is just as important.  Just some food, or flickers, for thought.