Several years ago, on a bitterly cold New Year’s Eve, I was working the night shift at a hotel, expecting nothing more than a quiet countdown and maybe a few overly enthusiastic guests celebrating the occasion. Instead, I got flashing lights, blaring sirens, and a full-scale evacuation.
At around midnight, the fire alarm screamed to life, shaking the entire building awake. In a matter of minutes, all 66 rooms had emptied, spilling a pajama-clad, half-asleep crowd into the freezing night. Confusion buzzed through the group as they huddled together, some clutching blankets, others grumbling about the rude interruption to their celebrations (or dreams). Was it a kitchen fire? Had the heater has gone rogue? An actual fire-breathing dragon?
Nope. Just a single bag of microwave popcorn that took its job way too seriously.
Somehow, a guest—let’s call him Mr. Midnight Munchies—along with two equally snack-driven companions, managed to set an entire microwave on fire. The details remain hazy. Did they punch in 30 minutes instead of 3? Did they wander off mid-pop, forgetting about their soon-to-be charcoal creation? We may never know. What we do know is that it took less than five minutes for their late-night snack to escalate into a smoke-filled crisis.
The fire department arrived, confirmed there were no actual flames left to battle, and cleared the building for reentry. But the damage was done. The rest of the guests? Absolutely livid. You don’t interrupt a person’s REM cycle or post-midnight champagne buzz without consequences. Some muttered angrily as they shuffled back inside; others threw death glares at the guilty party.
For their own safety (and to prevent an angry mob situation), management made the call: Mr. Midnight Munchies and his popcorn accomplices were swiftly escorted off the property, leaving them to start the new year not in a cozy hotel bed, but out in the cold—literally.
Moral of the story? Popcorn is never worth an eviction.
To the guest who unknowingly kicked off 202X with a bang—wherever you are, I hope your New Year’s Eves have been fire alarm-free, your snack choices less flammable, and your nights spent indoors where they belong.
Here’s to a new year filled with fires we can put out with a single breath.
As the old year takes flight and the new one spreads its wings, may your stories soar even higher. Happy New Year!
Wishing you a year of reflection, connection, and transformation,
Deb, HDRW
“Like the raven, may you embrace the winds of change, carrying the wisdom of the past into the promise of the future”
