We've all heard out-of-towners trash our city - It's dirty! The people there are so rude! It's not as cool as New York! And I'm sure you've heard some variation of the joke - Philly's so crummy, even its main attraction has a crack in it.
Well, twice this week I realized how lucky I am to be from this great city and stopped to appreciate what it has to offer.
On Monday I had to report for Federal jury duty (sigh). It was a day spent doing absolutely nothing, however, on one of my "breaks" I sat in front of the Courthouse at 6th and Market and stared across the street... at the Liberty Bell. I watched dozens of buses unload hundreds of eager school kids from the tri-state area who lined up and anxiously awaited their turn to get a glimpse of the 259-year-old historical treasure. I'd seen the Bell many times as a kid and even walked by it daily while working in the area, but it wasn't until I had a break from miserable jury duty that I realized how proud I was to be a Philadelphian. It was one of those moments that made me truly appreciate my surroundings and smile.
Several city blocks away from the Liberty Bell is my office at the archdiocesan building at 17th and Race Streets. Yesterday, I spent part of my lunch break attending 12:35 Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Talk about another well-spent break. Having the option to attend Mass throughout the day is a luxury, let alone attend Mass at the mother Church of our Archdiocese. Again, it took a tourist to make me see this. While Mass was being celebrated, I noticed a flash in the corner of my eye. I turned around to see someone in the back taking pictures of the magnificent Cathedral. I couldn't help but smile yet again and I thought to myself, 'Wow, this is pretty cool.'
Definitely beats the food court.
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