What is it with me and matches?

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For some reason that I just can’t fathom, I don’t seem able to get along with matches any more. I mean it’s not as if I’m not used to them – I grew up in a house where we had open fires in the front rooms (only on Sundays and special occasions, but still…) and often had to light candles when we had power cuts. Even as a student I rented a flat with a fireplace. Then I lived for many years on a boat with a wood stove. Never had any problem striking a match! But now somehow I seem to have lost the knack. I have no problem actually getting the fire to light, once I’ve lit the match, but I have such trouble with that simple step! I strike the match against the little bit of rough paper on the side of the box – and often nothing happens and I just end up sandpapering the head off the matchstick. Or else just snapping the head off completely. Or sometimes the head breaks off just as it catches, and a flaming match-head arcs through the air. I’ve tried doing it harder or more gently, towards me or away – what am I doing wrong? All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2019.