Traveling through Philadelphia

After two days of driving, I arrived in Philadelphia Wednesday evening. This is the beginning of a vacation of sorts for me. The first leg of the trip I am visiting one of my childhood best friends here in Pennsylvania.  

 

Wednesday evening was spent reminiscing at a local diner. Regrettably, at this particular establishment, the conversation was better than the food. I much prefer the Red Leaf, The Pheasant Cafe, the Willows, Oscars, or really any local restaurant. My friend tells me, despite what locals claim, the food is better back home. 

 

Thursday was spent walking around the city. People walk everywhere here. We logged about 10 miles worth of steps. 

 

Highlights included the Liberty Bell and the Ben Franklin Printing Office, home to a press actually owned, and presumably operated, by Benjamin Franklin. The nice people there demonstrated how printing was done back in the old days. I found it very interesting that printers took special training and had specific tricks of the trade. You see, back then the “original” of a printed item was made of many small metal pieces all held together in a frame. Typesetters kept letters of the alphabet–both upper and lower case–and other symbols and punctuation on a large rack. Items were arranged with the most-used letters closest at hand. Experienced typists would mentor amateurs who began by cleaning the movable type letters, getting familiar with where all of the letters were located. Positioning the type into the frame was the old fashioned version of ‘typing.’ 

 

Friday we walked to the History Museum and walked the famous steps from the movie “Rocky.” 

 

I also must report the cheesesteaks we had along South Street were better than expected. Given how iconic the cheesesteaks are, I didn’t really know what to expect. Especially based on the previous meal, I had set myself up for disappointment. Instead, I am glad to announce, I was blown away. I had never had a cheesesteak like the one we had from “Bibs,” the nickname given to the restaurant we went to. I had mine the classic way, onions and Cheese Whiz. The locals here all claim the best cheesesteak places are not the well-known ‘tourist trap’ establishments. (Although, they do admit, even those cheesesteaks are great. There are just better ‘hogies’ other places in the city.) 

 

Tuesday evening we visited the city of New York, toured Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, Times Square and saw “The Outsiders” on Broadway. 

 

Wednesday morning I departed for Orlando where I will be staying with best friends Kyle and Anastasiia before departing for my friends’ Paul and Heather's wedding in Miami. I cannot forget to mention, Heather’s bridal shower was Sunday, which I also attended. 

 

The final leg of my trip will conclude when Deb Bently takes her own vacation to Florida with sister-in-law Joan, whom I will pick up at the airport before we drive south to the Everglades for a weekend of adventure. 

 

For anyone who wonders how I can be “away” from my business ventures for all this time, I have to say this time of digital communication has changed the meaning of many words. For good or bad, we can no longer be “away” from work and communication unless we distance ourselves from electronic devices. I am still receiving emails and text messages and communicating with my staff as smoothly as if I were sitting in my office. For anyone who questions the wisdom of being so far away when I have important business to transact, I found three quotes that I feel are relevant to the subject of potential guilt over doing something nice for myself. 

 

“What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more' ... Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: 'You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.”― Friedrich Nietzsche

 

“Don't you find it odd," she continued, "that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try.”― Ethan Hawke

 

“Often those that criticise others reveal what they themselves lack.”― Shannon L. Alder