Signs of Madness

I almost titled this “They Took Photographs of Their Food.”

I had some thoughts tonight after starting to make my dinner around 9 pm after a long day. I took leftover homemade bread from Easter, put spaghetti sauce on it, then while looking in frig for shredded cheese noticed some leftover Avocado Tomatillo sauce and I put that between the pasta sauce and cheese.

And then, I did something very strange:

I took a photograph of it with the ingredients next to it. Before putting it in the oven.

Then, I contemplated this experience.

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If an archeologist (or aliens) studied us a thousand years from now – what on this good earth would they learn about us?

Would they make the following notation after careful study of our social media trends:

They seemed to take many photos of their food.

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So why do people photograph their food and put it on social media for anybody in the world to see?

Well, that’s a good question. I can only speak for myself – I sometimes photograph my food for a variety of reasons.

Tonight, I photographed it because I thought it was a creative combination – maybe someone else would get an idea and enjoy it. And the thought of that would make me happy – or discussing my food with someone might give me some moments of socially distant social interaction. People can be afraid to experiment and so much food goes into the trash in this world.

But also – when we live with someone we might discuss our dinners and be less likely to photograph something like this, right?

We might chat with those we live with about whether the combo sounds good or if we should add something else. Human beings are social creatures.

I sometimes photograph food when I’m traveling – or making some experimental or other good recipe or cooking up garden stuff in quantity- I’d say for the most part 50% of my food photography is just the food and 50% are food in settings with people – holidays, restaurants, etc. Sometimes I photograph some of my food creations also as a storytelling about my day.

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Now here’s yet another layer – we not only photograph our food but then we put it on social media.

Back around 2007 I used to do caricatures at the Italian Festival in Wilmington. I remember how I would walk briskly several blocks to my vehicle after very busy nights and having a lot of cash in my wheeled bag that transported my easel and other stuff. Being a woman and alone on city streets late at night I would scan my environment visually as I headed to my vehicle, keys in hand.

I remember one of these times watching a couple approaching me – there was no danger but I noticed they were holding hands and both talking on cell phones.

I remember thinking about my father who died in 1979 and wondering if he could have time traveled what would he think of this? Not only were wireless phones being used casually on a city street by common people but two people using them were talking to another two people somewhere else…while holding hands and walking down the street.

And, they were still connecting and enjoying this.

Surely he would have thought the world had gone mad.

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Yet here we are. I’m not saying it is wrong to photograph food. I’m not even saying that I’m so terribly alone that I photograph my food, ha ha! And I’m not saying I’ve gone mad…

I’m just taking a little time to note my thoughts.

So everyone can read them.

Everyone in the world.

Right???!!!

Before I leave you with a series of extra special photos I intentionally took as I contemplated this…one of my favorite lines from Alice in Wonderland is coming to mind:

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.

“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.

“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland