It’s City Daily Photo’s Theme Day again and today’s theme is “Electricity.” The photo above may be enigmatic, but it is about electricity. I’ll explain.
I worked many years ago for a non-profit youth corps that did projects on public lands, building trails, clearing brush and such. We rented a small shop space where our crews met, picked up tools, and headed off to work. One night we had a devastating fire. When I arrived to “secure” the site the firemen were pumping out the rivers of water they’d poured on to stop the flames. The building was a total loss.
We were instructed to inventory our losses as they were carted out to dumpsters we rented for clean-up. The day was a steady parade of melted, charred, lumps and chunks. The item pictured above includes part of a face mask and an exhaust pipe. I call it my fire sculpture and have kept it for over two decades. It reminds me that the tangible, solid, and secure things of our lives can suddenly be illusion.
Electricity? You may have guessed: the fire was traced directly to an electrical circuit panel. A well-meaning staff member had done some rewiring and hadn’t gotten it right. Electricity says more to me than the power to run our stuff, the drama of a storm. It’s a force we ought not be overly casual about.
Your last statement is absolutely correct. This theme day bothers me a bit since it’s a reminder of a tragic accident that happened to the son of a friend of mine who lost his life while doing some home remodeling. Your photo illustrates the strength of a project got wrong.
Electricity should be left to the pro’s – this from a retired electrician.
“A Lesson Learned!”
Cool shot!
oowwww. i missed theme day.. 🙁
thats a sad story. i often try not to think of all the dangers that are everywhere… getting to you unexpectedly. around here so many houses have burned, entirely, because of cigarettes not put out, or lint build-up in dryers… small things you dont think about… until something like that happens..
Thanks for sharing that story. What resonated with me is “tangible, solid, and secure things of our lives can suddenly be illusion.” How true, and very well said.
Wow, what a story. And a great way to interpret the theme!
This is amazing and scary! Great post, great entry on the theme.
It’s said that photographs tell a story, and yours is proof of that. A very sobering interpretation of the theme, and a wondrous photograph.
I’m so sorry to know about your devastating fire. it’s the dangerous about mishandling electricity. like my daughter ever shocked by the electriciy that flow on the iron fence.