Making the Ordinary Important 

My photo for this week was taken in a neighborhood that many would describe as dilapidated. The majority of the homes surrounding this one are in some stage of decline. The owners have given up on their properties by boarding up windows instead of repairing them, leaving trash in their yard, or by neglecting necessary and simple repairs to their homes. My guess would be that many of the occupants are renters as opposed to owners, and neither the owner nor the resident feels responsible or compelled to make any improvements, no matter how simple or essential they are. It is within this context that this image is important to me.  

A fair number of photos which I take bring a story to me.  This house may have a sentimental appeal because as a boy, I lived in such neighborhoods. My parents rented, but kept their property clean inside and out.  Dad had some gardening skills and mom never failed to decorate doors and windows for the seasons in simple and inexpensive ways.  It wasn't our dream home but it was a home where hope and gratitude grew.   A short quote from photographer Elliot Erwitt describes this feeling consisely: 

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has 
little to do with the things you see and everything to do 
with the way you see them."

What I see in this photo is a hint of rebellion that is universally felt as an undercurrent in our society. People feel powerless, insignificant, and disconnected in a variety of small ways each day that affect their mindset. Consequently, they respond by withdrawl and cynicism.  In this home, I see a resident refuses to be powerless and has subtly planted the seeds of a personal revolution. While the door may be rusty and the sidewalk heaving, the flowers and greenery push back against the rest of the neighborhood's message of neglect and decline. Yes, it is a small act within his/her grasp that sends a message of hope and beauty to all who pass by this house daily. In the verbage of the 1960s revolutionary times, this is a true example of "flower power."