I’ve heard it said that looking into someone’s refrigerator can provide great insight into that person’s life — especially when it comes to relationships.
Several years ago, a philosophy photographer explored how life events affected the look of one’s refrigerator by taking photos of 60 people in 20 communities across the United States.
He spent four years on the project, sometimes returning to revisit a person and see if there were any changes.
As you might expect, the bartender who spent little time at home had a collection of takeout containers. Apparently, some had been there quite some time and the photographer had to close the refrigerator several times just to get over the smell of rotting food.
Divorced men and women’s fridges were sparse but well organized. Refrigerators belonging to families were well stocked and contained plenty of ingredients to prepare home-cooked meals along with fruits and vegetables.
There’s even a blog, “Check Their Fridge,” run by a self-proclaimed refrigerator dating expert who can gauge couples’ compatibility based on the contents.
According to John Stonehill, the marketing expert who runs the blog, you can get a true picture of a person’s health, lifestyle and income just by taking a peek inside. He says you can even figure out what type of romantic partner they will be.
And, now, there’s Twitter’s week-old live-streaming app Periscope where showing the contents of your refrigerator has become all the rage.
One Twitter user said the people in her office were so obsessed with this that pictures of their refrigerator had been shown eight times in just one day.
You might say the past few weeks in Boulder City were like taking a peek into our community refrigerator, offering a portrait of what it means to live here.
Just Saturday alone, for example, there were three events that depict the variety of activities offered to area residents.
The day started early with the family-friendly 61st annual Easter Egg Hunt. Presented by Boulder City United Methodist Church, the egg hunt attracted multiple generations and brought smiles to nearly every face I saw there.
The children scampered over the grass in Wilbur Square Park to scoop up the brightly colored eggs, candy and toys scattered around. I even saw some toothpaste and dental floss in the mix, and didn’t hear a single complaint by those who discovered the nontraditional Easter basket goodies.
Also in the morning was the 2015 Great American Cleanup at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Residents, who demonstrated how much they care about their community and its surroundings, joined with more than 4 million volunteers nationwide to clean and beautify parks and landscapes in about 20,000 communities.
Later that afternoon was the third annual Boulder City Beerfest, which definitely attracted an older crowd. Entertainment and the opportunity to sample specially crafted beverages from more than 25 brewers from three states were the order of the day.
Granted, not everything that happens in Boulder City is picture perfect. And March saw two events that were unusually rare for the community.
Normally a quiet and safe place to live, Boulder City was rocked by both a bank robbery and an officer-involved shooting in March.
The March 5 bank robbery was the first incident of its type in the past five years. Police Chief Bill Conger said the limited points of access make robberies of this type rare.
Even more time has passed since the last officer-involved shooting — twice as many years, in fact.
As with any refrigerator, you’re bound to find something that has gone beyond its expiration date and needs to be tossed. That doesn’t mean everything else in there is bad.
So it is with Boulder City. The occasional rotten tomatoes can be discarded, leaving you with plenty of good greens for the perfect salad.