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 boiler that didn’t have a self ignition button.
I went and bought one of those long lighters my pal 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 boiler I was. I think that I have seen too many films or learn too many books involving gas explosions, because I was sure that I was going to blow myself up one of those afternoons trying to light the heater, or, at the legitimately 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 concern with it going out on me once while the gas was still on. The boiler was situated kind of close to the front door. When my guy left one night, the breeze from the door must have blown the flames on the boiler out and I didn’t even notice, until I woke up chilly, with a terrible 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 move out of there and into a arena that also had a gas heater, however a self lighting one.