The moral, explained
Ochra had a rule: before anyone eats, she paints the food. The meat went cold. The fish she painted from three angles. Soon the tribe left handprints under every painting, and she loved the handprints more than the food. Then came the biggest feast of the year. Wait, said Ochra. She painted every detail, while a sabre-tooth cub had its own plans. The tribe went to bed hungry. Ochra got two hundred handprints.
Taking pictures of food before eating is harmless on its own; a photo can be a nice way to remember a meal. The story is about the moment the picture starts to matter more than the thing: when the meal is for the likes, the concert is for the video, the trip is for the post. Then you're spending the moment on its record, and the record never tastes as good.
Notice who pays in the story. Ochra gets her handprints. Everyone else gets nothing to eat.
Try this today
At your next meal with people, take one photo if you want, then put the phone face down until the plates are empty. See if anyone notices the difference. Most people notice the food is warmer.
Talk about it
Do you photograph your food first? What's the best meal you never took a picture of?
