There's Something About Philly

Sign interpretation: 😅 "Explore sharks underwooder" 😅
(Many Philadelphians say wooder for water)

It’s hard to put my finger on it. Maybe it depends on the day, or the hour, or maybe it’s because of the bewitching full-moon/time-change/Friday-the-13th/Corona virus week. But there's something about Philly that brings satisfying feelings. Despite the overall grime, homeless beggars, and cigarette smoke floating along the sidewalks, there is something deeper. 

I attempt to be the one ready to perform random acts of kindness. But, last Thursday around 6:00 p.m. near the bustling Center City Philly area the tables were turned as we ride a full subway car, standing. Standing in the subway car because the one pair of open seats has a large, disgusting, sticky spill on it. At the next stop a woman enters and eyes the empty pair of seats next to us. We say, Watch out for the sticky spill on the one seat. 

She replies, Thanks, but I’m used to it, while squeezing past us to situate herself into the clean seat. The professional-looking, silvery-aged woman is just glad to rest her feet, maybe after a long work day. She pulls out a couple of cloths and her "wooder" bottle (read the caption for the picture above), and vigorously scrubs the seat next to her. Then, she light-heartedly says, I’m always ready. 

We figure she wants to set her purse on the seat, but instead, I’ve cleaned the seat off, for you. Please sit!

Even though I am still a bit hesitant to sit in what was a messy seat (but now it looks clean), and our stop is next, it is rude to turn down a kindness. I smile, sit to rest my feet, but just for a quick minute. After the next noisy jerk and stop, we depart the subway car with a grateful, Thank you! Have a great evening! 

That act of kindness still surprises me, because I should be willing to do the same thing. But could this germophobe? With the Corona Virus lurking, maybe instead I will carry cleaning wipes to let others clean their own seats if needed.

Over the weekend, while comfortably situated in our car, running Saturday errands, we listened to a favorite radio speaker. The speaker lightly discussed discrimination, and how some people look for and anticipate discrimination, and others don't bother: As a child, while my [black] family spent their time talking about discrimination and even looking for it, other [black] families opened hardware stores (a much better use of time)! 

So, we are grateful and even enchanted by our recent memory, of one kind black Philly woman on the subway who wasn't looking for an act of discrimination against her. Instead, she spent a few minutes of her time performing a random act of kindness, for me. #There’sSomethingAboutPhilly