Brotherly Love Indeed

 I’ve been working in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, for the past month and I’ve fallen in love with all things Philly. 

Before coming here I didn’t have a real positive Philly view. I imagined unsafe streets, the worst possible east coast attitude to assault my twenty-year-in-the-making west coast laid back demeanor, hot humid weather that would turn the best of my moods into a sweat drenched growl, greasy Philly cheesesteaks, and an overbearing admiration for Rocky.

Well... I’ve been walking the streets of Philadelphia at all hours (and I mean morning, noon, night, late night, and late, late night) and haven’t encountered any problems. Sure there’s the occasional drug dealer, hooker, and potential vandal roaming, but that seems to be everywhere these days from the coasts to between the coasts to the cubicles of corporate america and the corridors of democracy. It’s certainly not unique to Philly.

The Philly folks have been extremely nice. Even on the most humid days there hasn’t been a nasty humid attitude hurled upon me.  Brotherly love indeed.

  

As for a Philly cheese steak I want to, I do, but a Philly native told me they’re made with cheese whiz. That kind of made my intestines gurgle. What’s in cheese whiz? I imagine I’d be carrying that cheesesteak and cheese whiz within me for days. I’d probably have to sip some “smooth move” tea after devouring one.

The tourist in me couldn’t resist the temptation to cast my eyes upon the statue of Rocky. I anticipated it’d be a grand moment of inspiration and strength. It wasn’t.  The statue’s no longer at the top of the stairs leading to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It’s been demoted to the bottom of the stairs in a side park. Needless to say I refrained from running up and down the stairs with my fists in the air chanting “Gonna Fly Now.” 

My Philly time is running out and there’s still lots to see and lots to do, and yes, I will bid farewell to Philly with a Philly cheesesteak.

What’s a little heartburn and intestinal discomfort? It’ll last a day or two, but the memory of Philly will last forever.