The Drinking Fountain

On my neighbors' property, right next to the street curb, is a water fountain shaded by Sycamore trees. I always wondered if that was a public park fountain from an era past when perhaps the street I live on was a wilderness trail.

Well I found out that my neighbors had installed it, along with a stone seating area decades ago. J and A wanted to provide a resting place and cold water for anyone who was weary after walking up the hill on a hot Los Angeles day. How cool a thought is that?

Good deeds are sometimes not rewarded. Over time, trash started to pile up. J and A  had to remove the stone benches when vandals continually sprayed graffiti all over them. You can see remnants of some of the graffiti on the bottom of the stone pedestal.

I'm glad they didn't dismantle the fountain. It would have meant they gave up. It's still working today, surviving the harshness of careless thought. It's a good metaphor for our lives. No matter how much you have to fight for what you believe in, don't ever give up. Even with a few bruises, you will always prevail. Just like J & A.

I relish the idea that there is still public philanthropy. It just happens it comes from my neighbors. How double cool is that?