"Caring"

It has taken me a week to pinpoint why the art installment in front of the Federal Building in Akron bothers me. When I went to the building last week, my jaw dropped at the massive two story installation that greeted me. The art piece, entitled “Caring” showed two people, one who was seeming to help the other up from off of the ground.

I stood outside of the Federal Building staring at the magnificent art piece, soaking it all in. “Caring.” One who is standing helping someone who has stumbled to stand once again. One offering a hand. It was a fascinating visual of the word “caring” that I couldn’t get out of my mind.

And yet, although I couldn’t get the art piece out of my mind, I couldn’t get that feeling out of me that something about it didn’t quite sit well with me. 

What I’ve concluded:

The art piece tells a story where you’ve fallen on the ground, I walk over to you, extend my hand, say, “I care for you,” and help you up. 

My visual of caring is one where you’ve fallen on the ground, I walk over to you, get on the ground with you, say “I care for you,” and we get up together. 

And that to me paints a drastically different image of what caring for one another might look like.

Amber Cullen's Mission Year (in Philadelphia) Fundraising Page:

https://missionyear.thankyou4caring.org/ambercullen