201220931
I am not a motorist, so I venture to assignments using either SEPTA or my feet, with the latter providing far more opportunities to analyze what drives life in South Philly. When handling this week’s Word on the Street task, I started to think about the benefits of walking through our neighborhoods and sided with these as the top 10 reasons to choose shoes as one’s means to cover our quarters.
10) Beauty: Though only skin deep, physical beauty abounds in South Philly. As spring unfolds, expect to see radiant smiles on residents and visitors as they dine and shop. While sharing is caring, remember that staring certainly isn’t. Mind your manners when seeing a sight for sore eyes.
9) Looks of perseverance: Through my educational and residential identities, I have spent 16 of my 37 years in South Philly, definitely enough time to notice and admire that many locals bear on their faces the look of sheer determination. Many of us have faced some harrowing situations, but when I meet the eyes of most individuals, I sense a desire to persevere and fight, and I truly respect that.
8) Possibility: A close relative of the preceding entry, this benefit is available to anyone who looks around South Philly and wants to believe that life here is quite enviable and certainly capable of producing continued greatness. When I tell people I call South Philly home, I automatically feel proud because I am a part of a historic section of the city that uses the past as inspiration for novel and fruitful ideas.
7) Gratitude: This might sound strange considering that our publication covers mostly contemporary happenings, but I am not the biggest fan of current events, preferring to ponder the example of our predecessors. When I reflect on the past, I find myself immensely grateful for the sacrifices that those figures made to help me to enjoy the area’s amenities.
6) Longevity: We part with the occasional store or treasured site, but South Philly is teeming with durable locations that offer constant opportunities to be grateful for the diligence of those who dare to dream. Family-owned establishments always delight me the most, and when I hear that a place is on its third-generation or more, I wish for that total to hit double digits. Keep on keeping on.
5) Green space: I like balancing indoor-based joy and outdoor-situated fun, with South Philly’s abundance of green space definitely poised to give the latter sort the edge as spring blossoms.
4) Languages: I have minimal comprehension of Italian and Spanish, so I occasionally try to make sense of what I hear as I march along. Though those languages dominate among the non-English choices, I like knowing I can hear other tongues and usually refrain from thinking the speakers are talking about me when I hear them! Hey, we all have our little insecurities, right?
3) Bakeries: This needs no explanation, right? I am glad I have never decided to make baked goods a Lenten sacrifice. I am already penitent enough.
2) Broad Street and Snyder Avenue: Oh, what a location! Never short on interesting characters, this intersection presents a tall order to those who are up for a quiet stroll along Broad Street. You know what, though? I think it is charming in its own peculiar sense.
1) Children’s laughter: Nobody in South Philly lives that far from a school or daycare that the sound of children’s laughter is not a daily delight. Granted, their excitement is far more pronounced once classes are done, for obvious reasons, but no matter the time, the joy is an infectious excuse to test our tootsies’ tenacity if life allows us the chance. ■
Contact Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
