Ascending the Rocky Steps

When visiting Philly, I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I studied art in college. I love art. But I did not go inside the building to view the art. No. The museum steps, five sets of stairs that lead to a vista of the city is most known for Rocky, the movie. There is the famous montage scene, when he is training, running the streets on a cold morning, ending at the top of the steps, holding his hands up high in triumph. He is ready, ready for his big fight with who, I don’t remember. 

 

I planned to go in to view the art. But what was happening outside was more interesting. As I sat atop the last landing looking at the view, it was kind of incredible. The view was in fact lovely, Independence Hall visible in the distance, down the promenade. But it was the steady stream of people recreating that same scene from 47 years ago that was more incredible. Yes, I looked it up. 47 years, 1976. There were parents with kids, egging them on to keep going to the very top. There were groups taking turns one after the other, documenting the whole thing on video.  Most, surely, were too young to have even seen the movie. Some played the music aloud on their smartphones, enhancing their experience as they ascended the steps. Some shadow-boxed. All raised their hands in triumph at the top. All.

 

I am not much of a social media person, rarely posting. So perhaps, I lack the background to fully understand and appreciate what I was seeing over and over and over again, no doubt being posted for friends and family to enjoy. What was surprising, is that everyone did it. Everyone.

 

When I was still getting a teaching credential, long ago, I worked in a bookstore. Sometimes customers would come to the front to pay for their books and say some original comment. I can’t remember what it was now, but everyone said it. Us employees had our way of coping with the lack of originality coming from the mouths of all that came up. When we heard it, a a version of it,  we bent down and put a tally mark on the paper taped under the shelf to track the original, not so original, utterances of our customers. I suppose that is what struck me about the Philadelphia steps. 

 

We are all unique and special, and we are less original than we think we are. That is not a bad thing, just an observation. It connects us. Our shared experiences, shared thinking, shared emotions. Time for me to go climb the steps!

2 thoughts on “Ascending the Rocky Steps

  1. Brought a smile to my face picturing all of these people running up the steps… can hear the music too. Fun post.

  2. Thanks for sharing. It’s fun to notice those things folks do because they almost feel like a tradition, even if they’ve never done them before.

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