I was amazed at the ornate buildings in Philadelphia. It was exquisite! At the risk of looking like a goofy tourist, I took lots of pictures of buildings. Bob wasn't as impressed, having grown up there amidst all this.
The Other Side
As with any big city, there was another side to the beauty. This culture is so polarized between the haves and the have-nots, and there were times in Philly when this was painfully clear. Some vivid memories: having tall skyscrapers in sight as I descend into the elevated train station that smells of urine; a man urinating in a park behind a tiny tree that only really covered the top half of his body. What amazed me is how much I take privacy for granted. I have a private space, a home, and I cannot imagine having to perform certain tasks in front of everyone like this.
Here are two photos I took where the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty provided quite a reality check.
Ok this struck me as very interesting. This sculpture shows a man emerging from the stone, thoughtfully tugging at his beard. And beside him sits a homeless woman, who is also very thoughtful. From this perspective, her head emerges from the trash can ... the homeless are seen in this capitalistic society as human trash. Most people cannot see the historical oppression that continues to deprive people of the very basic necessities; and often we see homelessness as a violation against the human potential to succeed. Yet capitalism is a system where EVERYTHING is for sale, including the basics like food and shelter. Competition for resources such as these drives the prices of these resources up, while the same kind of competition allows (and sometimes forces) employers to pay people such low wages that they can't afford the basics. Mr. Marx, these are your lumpen proletariat.
Another photo to think about. Can you find the homeless man in the doorway? He looks so tiny in the spledid entranceway to that building, don't you think? Doesn't it make you think???
(Thanks!)