Back in the day totem poles served as a historical narrative to welcome or warn village visitors. They were carved as mortuary vessels for the remains of deceased ancestors and in some cases as a means to publicly ridicule an event or an individual.
Unfortunately these days they are seldom erected and sadly Im not a wood carver with a tree at my disposal so telling my story in oil. Not so long ago my good friend Babycakes Romero published a striking photo collection of people buried in their phones: https://babycakesromero.com/the-death-of-conversation
This “zombie epidemic” is only getting worse and we are all victims of this isolating addiction. It’s ironic that we are all looking down in a time where we really should be looking up.