Phone calls cutting in and out, some texts sending the important ones not, and the smell of half finished beer. I went to the Eagles Super Bowl 59 Champions Parade this past Valentine’s day. I had woken up 8am sharp, ready to celebrate our boy’s win but also be around the eccentric Philly community again. I pulled out my water bottle, snacks, all the Eagles merch I owned, I even did a cute little hairstyle for the long day ahead. An hour and a half after leaving my house with a big smile, my tears slowly drop into my cold tea as I’m attempting to keep my voice steady to ask the officer if there truly is anyway for me to cross JFK blvd. I was informed, I was out of luck. Time to regroup, let everyone know that there is no one to get to my sisters brunch so the mimosa and beautiful spread of food will not be getting any love.

As I walk back to my house, the pain shooting down my lower back into my legs I curse the elevator has it opens and I curse it as it closes. I stomp into my house, throwing down my back pack, my coat, my headband, and whatever else I can release my anger on.

I cry. My mascara runs down my face as I wonder what I could have done differently. Leave the house earlier? What if I had just slept over at my sisters? Maybe if I had been a little more confident I could have pushed through the crowd and found a way? My chest pounds, I just wanted to see our boys on their float and listen to the words of hard working players. I pace and a tissue ends up in my hand. I will find my composure and I will get that experience.

But I’m only 23, this was my first experience of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl after having lived in Philly for five years. How could I have possibly known.

What to do next time

I believe one of the most important lessons growing up is that things will be okay if you let them. I had always thought if the day wasn’t absolutely perfect and everything went as planned, it was a bad day. But I might as well take a number and get in the very long line of people who think the same way. With that being said, obviously majority of my days are not perfect. I cry, I get anxious, someone cancels, or you go into the Eagles Parade completely blissed out not realizing how many people are Eagles fans (considering most of the country loves to drag and dog Philly but whatever). But the point is, life happens and it’s not to be controlled.

While I did eventually get the experience I wanted with a couple tweaks of our plans, I will watch it from my television when we win next year! Maybe I’ll even have friends sleepover the day prior and then we can have a whole day together inside my apartment! I’ll have to prepare as if we’re getting a snow storm or hurricane, getting errands and chores done the day before so you can hunker down and not leave for anything.

My favorite memories

Although I have a lot of what seems I have to say seems negative (but I take as lessons), I actually had such a blast when our group found each other. As I gathered myself, made myself peanut butter and banana toast, finished my tea I was ready to make a plan on how to get what I want. What is it that I wanted? To have a story other than the tears.

I cleaned up my plate and reapplied my makeup to grab my things and head back out with my sister and our friend in toe. The sun was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, to gently kiss my face as I smiled with the cold air entering my lungs. I skipped and smiled down 12th street and did the same as we turned on to arch, heading towards City Hall.

Moments after this picture, I found a rally towel on the ground. Thank goodness, by the way, I could become a beacon for my sister to find me in the mayhem.

Once we made ourselves comfortable right in front of a jumbo tron at City Hall I noticed that I had manage to make the one thing I wanted come true. I got to see the speeches from my favorite players and celebrate with all of Philly!

As feeling started to leave my body, it was decided that we should head back to our homes. to warm up We give our excuse me’s and go birds to fans as we pass. But as Mailata came onto the podium, the tears came out again as everyone started to sing “We are the Champions.”

I could not be more happy and proud of our city.

My criticisms

What Philly should do next.

I think people who live outside of Philly don’t experience it on the daily, really can’t grasp the idea that we’re not a party city. Philly is built on brotherly love and hard work, so seeing people come in just to wear green and throw their empty beers on the ground, pick fights, and hurt themselves is frustrating.

While I don’t want to say to keep these people out of Philly, but we need to be retaught the execution of respect. Just because we do have those nights on broad doesn’t mean you can come in and replicate on a random afternoon, we run off of the highs and happiness not warm Bud lights and and half finished Titos.

And why do we find it so hard to just run off the highs of respect and excitement? That all these fans have something so big in common and brought all of us together, why do we fight eachother?

The difference between broad and the parade, I can feel the genuine community and love for the Eagles. Everyone is happy, we high five, we chant, we take pictures for eachother, we lift one another up. But the day of the parade was tense, I felt the need to constantly be looking over my shoulder, that I had to apologize for just about anything.

The real fun, that night on broad street when we won the super bowl, seeing the fireworks burst into our shade of green, the Eagles logo waving high and proud, the fall of confetti, just the loving real fans of the Eagles marching down broad with happy tears, cheers, and beers.

Go birds.