I was not raised around natural gas appliances, so it was no wonder that I was intimidated by this contraption that was supposed to heat my whole studio apartment.
It was an older model space furnace that didn’t have a self ignition button.
I went and purchased one of those long lighters my buddy and I used to use to light the barbecue grill. The first few times I lit this gas heater, I called my mother to tell her I enjoyed her, in case I blew myself up. That’s how afraid of the gas furnace I was. I think that I have seen too several films or learn too several books involving gas explosions, because I was sure that I was going to blow myself up one of those days trying to light the heater, or, at the very least, catch my hair on fire. I was so scared of that heater. Once I got it lit, I was okay. I just tried not to put it out. But then I had a problem with it going out on me once while the gas was still on. The furnace was located kind of close to the front door. When my wifey left one night, the breeze from the door must have blown the flames on the furnace out and I didn’t even notice, until I woke up cold, with a exhausting headache. And then I was afraid to light it, thinking the gas has been running on low this whole time, I didn’t want to blow up the house. I was grateful to finally transport out of there and into a arena that also had a gas heater, but a self lighting one.