Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 1

Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 2

Diner Utensils – West Edmonton, Alberta 3

At Christmas we stayed in a West Edmonton hotel. Each morning a crew of cooks serves breakfast to a gaggle of patrons – early morning faces, searching for sustenance to anchor them to their day – tea, coffee, eggs, a bagel. Goodwill, care and interest are shared and are part of the help that helps them on their way. Curiously and lovingly, a listening ear and dialogue are offered, also anchoring the patron stranger to their day – encouraging them (adding courage to them).

Carrie Newcomer’s song ‘Betty’s Diner’ talks about this dynamic of communion, amongst the varied human narratives being lived, each coming into the diner for sustenance and a waitress who’s tracking their narratives each day, encouraging them (and adding courage to them), an anchor to would be strangers who find themselves more family than stranger in Betty’s Diner; it’s interesting that this waitress role of service is so similar to that of pastor. Carrie Newcomer’s song is now a musical. Here, a set of hotel kitchen utensils are clean and stand ready for tomorrow’s meal, becoming subject for these images and reminding this patron so much about Carrie Newcomer’s song, ‘Betty’s Diner.’

Quote to Consider – “There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what you see is what we are.” – Ernst Haas

Listening to – Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s ‘Friend of Mine,’ ‘Sun’s Gonna Shine’ and ‘Heart of a Dreamer.’