Crab Fries

This was actually written last Wednesday but because of my crappy internet service and overall laziness I didn't get it posted until tonight.

Only 6 more camp days left. It seems like just as I’m getting comfortable it’s time to leave. I think it will be a bitter-sweet goodbye next Friday. I am certainly ready to go home but I never want to forget the kids or my time in Philadelphia.

Brittany is heading to a conference in Maryland for her school and since she had a day off I decided to try to weasel a personal day for myself. I told Lynn in the morning that I was “uncomfortable walking alone so early in the day.” That’s a lie. I have walked that way alone a few times and while it’s not my favorite thing to do I would have managed. She told me that I should catch a bus which definitely would not have happened. I will take the small risk of walking alone before I pay $3 to ride for only a few minutes. At the end of the conversation I figured my plan had failed. Later in the day however, she came up to me and told me that I could just take a day off. I don’t know what changed her mind but I’m glad about it. I haven’t been feeling very well anyway and having a day to sleep in would be great.

Last night I went to a Phillies game with Pastor Kopp, Bill and Brittany. We really had a great time. P Kopp knows the stadium by heart and gave us the grand tour. I bought my first Philadelphia souvenir- a Phillies T-shirt touting my new favorite player’s name, #11 Jimmy Rollins. We ate bratwursts and crab fries and settled into our seats in right field. We didn’t catch any fly balls but Rollins did hit a home run solely due to my support. The Phillies won the game 4-3; it couldn’t have worked out better.

Last weekend was spent at Brittany’s farm in York. She organized all her friends for a weekend of partying and Hershey Park. It was really cool to see where and how she lives. Almost everything in the house is original to it. There is no air conditioning, dishwasher or cable. The walls have the original horsehair wallpaper and the cracks near the windows and ceiling only add to the house’s charm. Her parents are a riot. Some of the nicest and most outgoing people I’ve ever met. Meeting them has helped me to understand Brittany a lot more. All of her friends were nice and Hershey Park was fun. The first night I was a little hesitant to get into things. I think seeing how close her group is made me nostalgic for home. I was also pretty tired so I went to bed early. The next day was a lot more fun and a lot more of what I hoped the weekend would be, time with people my own age that are smart, laid back and fun to be around. I was able to let loose a little bit Saturday night and woke up on Sunday with no regrets. I worry a little bit about spending three more days on the farm in two weeks though. My allergies were acting up like crazy around all those animals. And it’s weird for me to say “my allergies” because at home I’m not allergic to anything. Also, there is a teeny tiny kitten there that I was able to hold. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

The murder count in Philadelphia is up to 230 for 2007. That’s more than one murder for every day so far this year. I think there were six last weekend alone. It’s really shocking to me how complacent people have become around here. There was a shooting that killed three people in a crowded bar the other night. No one saw anything. People must be afraid to talk to the police or there is a wide fear of being a snitch. It’s not only the public; it’s the government here as well. The gun laws in Pennsylvania allow you to buy an unlimited number of guns in a day. And the mayor would rather spend his time waiting in line for a new iPhone than go into the office for the day. It’s interesting how the culture of Philadelphia has been affected by this violence and how it works to perpetuate such actions. The kids in our camp glamorize violent behavior. Some have family members, people that they love and respect that are in jail right now. I overheard a conversation on the subway between two guys around my age about how they used to get in fights on their block to establish leadership among the kids that lived in the area. One retold a story about how he saw someone he knew get shot and die in the street when they didn’t move their bicycle out of the way soon enough. When these things are so normal it’s easy to ignore the news stories and the rising murder count becomes more of a novelty than a gruesome fact.