With the festive season fading into memory, I’ve found myself reflecting on something that’s becoming increasingly obvious in our modern lives.
We’re brilliant at capturing moments. But not always so great at living them. Technology now lets us record, review, and replay just about anything. And while that’s impressive – even magical at times – I wonder if in our obsession to document everything, we’re losing something far more valuable: the experience itself.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped being in the moment… and started managing it for the camera.
When Moments Weren’t Measured in Megapixels
I remember standing in Wembley Stadium on July 16th, 1988.
The roar of the crowd as the gates opened. The surge of people racing to the front. The thundering build of Carmina Burana over the speakers. The heat from the fireworks as Michael Jackson launched from beneath the stage. The entire stadium of 90,000 people, screaming in unison.
I don’t have a single photo from that day. No selfies. No shaky footage. Not even a grainy zoom-in. But I can still feel it. The sound. The rush. The awe. The way the hairs on my neck stood up. Because I wasn’t watching the moment through a screen… I was in it. Present. Alive. Transformed.
Firewalking Is the Same
At Kick Ash Firewalks, we talk a lot about transformation. Not in a lofty, theoretical way, but in the felt, embodied, unforgettable kind of way.
You don’t firewalk with your phone in your hand. You don’t glass walk while scrolling TikTok. You don’t break an arrow with your throat while trying to go live on Instagram.
These moments demand your presence, and in return, they give you something real. Something unforgettable. Something no camera can truly capture. You feel every second and, like that concert all those years ago, you carry it with you forever.
Fewer Photos, More Memories
Over the holidays, I realised just how precious presence really is. I don’t have many pictures from those days. But I do have vivid memories:
The sparkle in my eldest granddaughter’s eyes as we set up her microscope, abandoning the chaos of Christmas dinner for a shared moment of wonder. The soft weight of my youngest granddaughter’s tiny fingers exploring my face. The simple stillness of holding my wife’s hand while we watched a film.
These are the moments that breathe. Not curated, not filtered, not captured… just felt.
And they matter more than any highlight reel ever could.
This Year, Be There for It
So here’s my invitation as we move into this new year:
Let’s put the phone down more often. Let’s be in the room – really in the room – with the people we love. Let’s talk, laugh, cry, hold hands, tell stories, and sit in silence without needing to document it for proof. Let’s create memories so vivid and alive that they don’t need retouching, reposting, or replaying.
And if you’re ready to take that even further, if you’re ready to feel something unforgettable, to remember what it’s like to trust your body, your courage, your presence…
Then come walk fire with us.
Because at Kick Ash Firewalks, we don’t just create moments.
We create transformation. One step, one breath, one ember at a time.