Flipped Script

Just a few weeks ago, during my other trip to the U.S. this year, I’d felt that the country seemed a little threadbare, maybe even coming apart at the seams. But this time I’ve been in Philadelphia, which struck me as vibrant and unified.

It helped that I had a guide, my sister, who knew the backstory about the public art, private grants, and civic pride we kept encountering as we walked around. In fact she set me straight at one point when my cynicism about politics got a little excessive.

We passed an empty lot near her place. She mentioned that somebody wanted to put up a convenience store there, but needed a zoning variance. Thinking of Bangkok, I made a remark along the lines of “that variance will depend on who knows/sleeps with/pays whom.”

Her answer was along the lines of “Excuse me, mister, but I happen to be a volunteer member of the community zoning board, and in this town it’s us—the neighbors—who call the shots.”

Later she introduced me to the city-wide mosaic museum known as the Philadelphia Magic Gardens. This series of folk art installations, funded and fought for by everyone from bigtime lawyers to passersby, really does radiate the spirit of brotherly love.