Welcome To The Philly DMZ!

The Nutter out front should have told ya.

The Pope is in Philadelphia this weekend and we are staying as far away from the city as possible. While we did venture out today driving down to the main line, that is as close as we were going to get to the urban militarized zone. However, even though we remained a good distance from the commotion, the impact of the Papal visit reached far beyond the boundaries of the city. While this could have seriously impacted and frustrated our travels, thankfully we took notice of the warning that has been flashing across the television and social media all week and made sure to avoid the major arteries.

It is rather astounding when you really stop to think about the whole situation. While I understand the importance that this man hold in his faith and in the world in general, the fact still remains that his presence put a complete halt to everyday life within and outside of the city. Not only were those who live within the concrete boundaries forced to change their weekend routine, accommodate the masses, or get the heck out but those of us that live on the other side of the horizon from the skyscrapers had to adjust to the new rules that were in place throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

It has been interesting watching the constant coverage streaming across all major networks since he first set foot in the United States. It has been even more intriguing hearing his statements on various issues and his opinions on some aspects of our society. Of course, that is nothing new for this Pope who has been quite outspoken since the day he dawned the vestments and took his place as an idol of the Catholic faithful. Personally, while I appreciate his honesty on various matters, there are times when I get tired of his lectures.

As the news coverage continued throughout the day and I watched as throngs of people were herded from place to place across the city packing the streets usually filled with cars, I kept on thinking about the businesses that were forced to close for the event and the people who left their homes for the weekend ceding the city to those now filling every inch of grass, asphalt, and concrete. While the boost in tourism will certainly be promoted, it seems as though the people of the city are the ones who will be forgotten when all is said and done. The people who made this the place the Pope wanted to visit are the ones that have been marginalized during his time in the city and forced to accept the quarantine like atmosphere.

It is great that the faithful had the chance to see their idol but it is a shame that the people and businesses of Philadelphia were forced to put up with the limitations, inconveniences, and limitations on their personal freedom and way of life. I agree that this Papal visit is, in many ways, something that needed to happen but it could have been handled in a completely different, less restrictive and militarized way. Faith and freedom should go hand in hand rather than presented in an either/or fashion.

So you say you live over there... sorry, still can't let you in. 

It’s Official, My Wife Is A Redneck!

Early on Sunday morning, toward the end of my shift, my wife stopped by the front desk before heading off to the Color Me RAD 5K walk/run to benefit the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania (you can read about her experience on her blog here). We talked for a little bit to coordinate our schedules as I pinned her registration number to the back of her clean white shirt. With our timing figured out she was on her way.

As soon as I got off from work I made my way to Fairmount Park to meet my wife at the finish line. While the park is only about 5 minutes from our apartment building, trying to find parking in Philadelphia on a normal day can be a challenge. This was only magnified by the hundreds of people from out of town, out of the state (especially those from New Jersey and New York), and flocks of teenagers and college students.

As expected, a 5 minute drive was punctuated by a 30 minute search for a parking spot. To say it was annoying is an understatement and many deserving expletives were used to describe members of the motorized herd. With the car parked in the gutter I made my way to the start/finish line.

It wasn’t hard to figure out which direction to walk as there was a thick pink haze enveloping the main area that was supposed to be my destination. That was not going to work for me and I quickly responded to a text from my wife and changed our meeting spot to a less lung filling area.

As I watched people walking by having finished the 5k it was interesting to see the reactions on people’s faces. Most were walking back chatting with others and smiling through the colors caked on their faces while a few people had eyes that seemed to question what the heck just happened with expressions of disgust like they had just tried to snort a rainbow. As I waited for my wife I was hoping that she was feeling more like the former rather than the later.

I caught a glimpse of her as she walked across the street to where I was standing. Feeling a little dirty but with a smile beaming on her face, she was crusted with color but she seemed to have had a lot of fun and happy that she participated. In the end, that is all that is really important to me. I just want my wife to be happy.

This was when we began to assess the mess which was the most entertaining part of the morning for me because as she removed her glasses and her bandana interesting patterns of demarcation were revealed. What really got me laughing was when she turned around and I looked at the back of her head. When she did that we discovered the fact that my wife, who has spent her entire life living in the city and suburbs, was now a redneck and a happy one at that.

Maybe next year I will have to walk with her. I am always up for some redneck fun. Stay tuned.