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A Leap of Faith

By Marianne Ruane» So what, you just moved to Philly on a whim?" Pretty much, I had to admit. This weekend in particular I was smarting from that decision. I'd only been in Philadelphia about a month when I broke up with my boyfriend, and the reality of my situation - no friends, no job, no local community to support me in my emotional duress - knocked me down with a thud. What had I done? The 9x9 room I'd fixed up so cozily now chafed like a prison cell. The great city of Philadelphia which I'd imagined to be teeming with job possibilities now seemed surrounded by an impenetrable fortress. The few contacts I'd made in the city had taken my resume and mysteriously disappeared, like victims of a Soviet purge. (Comments)

The SEPTA Man & Me

By Karen Devaney» Since moving to Philadelphia from the golden hills of California, I have become a subway user--which has its advantages and horrors depending on the time you use the system and your destination. I got in the habit of waiting for the throngs of rush hour folks to dissipate like smoke from a train as it departs the station. Then I'd descend the concrete stairs, praying the smell of urine would not stick to my shoes, to face the SEPTA man. The SEPTA man, at the Ellsworth and Federal stop, who sat in his secure stainless steel booth was not of a friendly persuasion --in fact, I secretly thought he hated most people. It appeared people gave him a rash or uncontrollable (Comments)

Lost in the Grind

By Shahida Muhammad» It was beginning to be way too much. My hair was looking like "Who did it and why?" Those lovely bags under my eyes had become even more emphasized and I had a to-do lists that I could never seem to to conquer. I knew I had to let go of something, but was I prepared to make the sacrifice for my general well-being? Was this my breaking point? Let me rewind a few months. I had been job searching for months after being laid-off of my first job out of college. The nice and cushy salaried job with benefits, had been replaced with the scarce reality of the limited job market. My job search went through phases. There was the 'Stay in your lane' phase where I was striving to stay career (Comments)

My Birthday from Hell

By Jamila Harris» I never truly appreciated life until the day I turned 32 and one day old at the same time. My 32nd birthday became the end of one person as I knew her and the birth of another. I woke up as Jamila Harris, as I had grown to know and love her. When I closed by eyes that night I had become a different woman. It was the beginning of a year-long nightmare. The day started off normal even though it was my birthday. My husband had not been home for a couple of days and I was going to treat myself to something good to sooth my emotions of not having him by my side. We had been married for three years but there was never a doubt in my mind that he was being unfaithful (Comments)

The Customer is Aways a Pain

By Alaina Mabaso» As Easter approached and visions of bringing the perfect split pea soup to dinner danced in my head, I went to a small meat market in the Philly suburbs for a ham shank. The cashier there was accompanied by a trainee. If you're going to start working at a meat market, I'm sure you're in at the deep end in the week before Easter. "Thank you, ladies, I'll see you again," said the elderly gentleman in front of me in line at the register. "Yeah, I'm sure you will," the cashier muttered, rolling her eyes at her companion before the man was even past the counter. "You'll find that some customers, you love," the cashier announced to the new girl as soon as I had paid for the shank and wished them a happy weekend. "And some, you just can't stand." I was unseasonably irked. (Comments)