The Universal Image of Sustenance: An Urban Watering Can

In these times, is it an outright elitist thing to run around with a Leica M-10P waxing poetic about how how to sustain the culture and character of a place? Maybe not, if the exercise continues to reveal simple truths about important things, and provides an easy, visual reference to remember. Like a watering can.

Since the pandemic began, I’ve been a newshound, dazed by the many angles of reporting, and the underlying commercial and political gloss on how the next redundant day will be different from yesterday. Are our governments failing? Did Sweden get it right? Should the kids go back to school?

My Leica helped me see something far more critical, with tongue in cheek. No matter what, we have to keep our gardens watered. Hence my photograph, full of interdisciplinary wonder, analogy, and maybe even allegory.

So, allow me to humbly preach for five magic rules of sustenance, suggested by the photograph above:

• Global warming? The watering can reminds that it’s not a good thing. We need a cooperative atmosphere to achieve productive mixtures of water, seed and soil,
• Urban green spaces? The watering can might help.
• Equitable places with a right to healthy food in the city? Ditto.
• Mental health, pandemic or otherwise? Ditto, again.
• A pretty picture, with the Leica way of awakening one’s mind (no matter how good the iPhone 12 camera will prove itself next month)? Maybe, elitist, but nonetheless important, as stated.

Coming next: The wheelbarrow?

Originally published at https://sustainingplace.com on September 7, 2020.