1% (Ab)solution
Caution! Water. Caution Tape on Public Water Fountain, 4.5” x 3.5”, Polaroid 600 Instant Print, 2019
60% of my body is water. 71% of the planet is water. 844 million people worldwide don’t have access to safe, clean water. 31% of schools worldwide don’t have access to clean water. When I was a senior, only 1% of the students, faculty, staff and administration had access to drinking water via the public fountains scattered throughout the high school. Privilege made sure of that. I am a White straight male born into an upper middle class family in the United States. My school district was largely White, I’d venture to guess about 98% and that includes students, faculty and staff. I was 17 and friendly to all. I was an athlete and an artist. I was in the gifted and advanced placement courses. I was popular. I was rarely, if ever, in any real trouble although I did do my share of mischievous deeds. But one haunts me today. Not that it had any real effect on my psyche then or even for 20 years after. But now, I understand the metaphorical consequence of my dubious action.
The public drinking water fountains throughout the school were very safe to drink from. The water came from a protected mountain spring, it was delicious. The fountains were installed at a height that accommodated most, and some had a companion designed for those in a wheelchair. The fountains projected a nice stream of that clean, cold and refreshing water well above the drain so it was easy to have a drink, long or short. The mechanism that forced the water to project upward was a small screw-in metal piece that looked like a silver crown. Over the course of a few weeks, I stole them all. I gave them to my closest friends, crowns for the kings. They were all straight White males from upper middle class families. We were the 1% water drinkers. It was a mystery to other students, faculty and staff. It still is. Privilege made sure of that.