My name is Beaton and I am a firestarter. My totem is fire, mlilo, moto… Fire is my spirit animal. If I could be any creature I would be a dragon:
The first flame,
His most royal spontaneous combustor,
Consumer of all leaving nothing but ash,
Burner of things,
Bringer of light,
Chaser of darkness,
Giver of warmth
Keeper of secrets
Custodian of legends
And Teller of stories
I might not be a dragon but I am the closest thing to a dragon in human form that you are going to learn about today. See my ancestors “discovered” fire, pretty much in the same way David Livingstone “discovered” the Victoria Falls. My ancestors didn’t start the fire but they kept the flame burning – understandably so because we didn’t have matches back then.
Read: How discovered fire
Legend has it that when my kin settled in what is now my ancestral land, they got the privilege of picking their own totem since they were of a royal lineage… Yes, yes bow you are in the presence of royalty and I don’t mean of the African Prince Scam type of royalty or the kind where you buy a novelty gift certificate that confers you with a lordship title –although I do have certificate that says by virtue of owning a token square foot of land in the Scottish Highlands I am Lord Beaton
My totem was almost a snail or rather a snail’s shell, which is something very important in the history of my kin’s “discovery” of fire. I don’t like snails, they kinda freak me out, they are slimey and gross- especially if you sprinkle them with salt – Yes I was a weird child but that’s a story for another day– I am however super glad they picked fire instead of snail as a totem.
I wish knowing what I know now, I could travel back in time and tell young me a few things, like its okay to have totem that is not an animal, its okay to have totem that is different and unique with a rich history behind it and not let alone make fun of it in the way little kids can be cruel to each other. That could be why I write, to the child who lives somewhere inside me.
I hated those show and tell days in school when the teachers would ask you to talk about your totem and to recite the songs of praises for our totems. I always seemed like I was making mine up and would get a bunch of silly questions like if it meant we didn’t eat food cooked with fire since ordinarily you are not suppose to eat your totem.
….That’s right kids, my totem can totally barbecue all your totems and I will eat then all **audible gasp from the class**
Once a teacher even sent me home with a note to my parents asking me to stop make up stories about things as important as our culture and that they should teach me more about my totem. My mum had to confirm to my teacher that my totem was really fire and that I was not telling tales…
My teacher thought I had wildest imagination, didn’t help that I wrote the wildest of essays, I was very creative in my writing especially those The Day I Will Never Forget type essays and What We Did Over The Holiday… I have always had a thing for telling stories.
The subsequent years in school got easier and of course at the beginning of the year when the new teachers would ask us to introduce ourselves and talk about where we come from and our totems, I would always get the question “Are you for real?”. Fortunately the rest of the class would answer in unison “shuwa” affirming its truth… Finally they had accepted me…
They say that people’s characters can be attributed to their totems and people try to stereotype certain behavioural traits as being common to a particular totem, some say its just coincidence others actually believe it. Well, I don’t know, I find fire fascinating -but doesn’t everybody- I have started fires and burnt things I shouldnt have.
I walk around with matches cause I like watching things burst into flame although I pretend that its because since I have locs random people will walk up to me to ask for a light.
My name is Beaton and I am a firestarter.
~B
WinterABC2023 Week 1 Theme The Spark
Becoming The Muse 
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