Where Are My Matches?

Growing up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, most houses have electric stoves.  Im not sure if i have ever even seen a gas stove in real life till i was about 20 years old, and had moved to California.

Being a new wife, and living so far from home, I had to kinda figure things out on my own.  The first time i went to cook something on the stove i was completely confused.  yes, i know how to cook, and have used the stove many time before, just not a gas one! 

I called jeff into the kitchen for help, i thought maybe he would know how to use the stove.  well,  he wasnt much help.  He showed me how to turn on the burner, and use a match to light it.  So from that point on, i always used a match to light the burners, and the oven. 

A few years went by and i continued using matches.  I had finaly made a good friend who was also a military wife, but was a california native.  I invited her over for dinner one night, since both our husbands were on duty. 

Little Jeff was about 1 years old, and she had a daughter the same age.  We let the kids play in the living room, so we could talk while i made dinner.  When i turned on the gas and grabbed my matches, she said " whoa!  what the hell are you doing?"  and started laughing her ass off.  I didnt know what she was talking about.  I lit the burner and placed the pot on the stove. 

She continued to laugh and I said, " What?  what is so funny?"  She asked me why i used a match to light the stove.  My eyes opend wide, and I raised my eyebrows and said, " well, how else do you light it? "

She reached over, turned the nob all the way to the left.  It made a click click click noise (hmmm never heard it do that before) and Poof!  well holy shit!  that burner turned on.  I was so amazed, i said " how did you know how to do that?"  She laughed some more and told me that, gas is all she has ever used.  in fact, she has never used an electric stove, ever.

That night before she and her daughter left, I asked her to show me how to light the oven.  well,,, wouldnt ya know it,,,  she just turned the oven dial all the way to the left and,,,, click click click,,, that lit its self too.