Fire Proof Filing Cabinets

I have always sort of look down on people too obsessed with security. I have a friend who uses fire proof filing cabinets in her house, and she has always seemed pretty silly to me.

When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human- and that is the secret of his popularity.
Author: Walt Disney

She is so obsessed with preserving her possessions at all costs that every inch of her house is secure. She is neurotic about fire safety to the point that she is risking a heart attack from all her worrying. Nonetheless, recently I got a wake-up call based on the experiences of another friend of ours. She is the opposite of my security-obsessed buddy in every way. I am pretty laid back and relaxed about some things, but Jeanine is what you might call a free spirit. Unfortunately, her lack of precautions had serious consequences.

She left a candle burning, you see, and it caught some papers on fire that were nearby. She is a writer, but she doesn't take very good care of her work. Had she had fire proof filing cabinets, she would have been able to save most of it.

Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere.
Author: G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

Although fireproof filing cabinets can't necessarily stand up to a raging inferno, the fire that she had was relatively minor. It was put out before the house collapsed, and although there were many damages, the structure itself was saved. Unfortunately, because of the lack of fire proof filing cabinet storage in her house, all of her files were in ruins. She was completely crushed by the experience.

The experience that she had woke me up as well. The very next day, I went out and started to look at fire proof filing cabinets. The problem is that finding a nice fireproof file cabinet is difficult. You see, they are so well reinforced for security that they are somewhat inelegant. My whole house has a very particular look, and I don't like the heavy, industrial, paranoid appearance of fire proof filing cabinets. As a matter of fact, in order to get everything to look great together, I had to hide them out of sight. Nevertheless, it is worth it to know that all of my precious files are secure. No matter what happens to my house, my photo albums, my journal entries, and my favorite books will be safe in my fire proof cabinets. In the end, fireproof filing cabinets aren't just about keeping your stuff safe, but about feeling safe. I have to admit that installing them made me sleep better at night.

1) May those who love us, love us. And those who don't love us -- may God turn their hearts. And if He cannot turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles, so that we may know them by their limping.2) God was showing off when He made you.3) Don't look at me in that tone of voice.
Author: Keeping the Faith - 2000