Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

After the initial shock of MURL’s first day, I began to embrace my assignment. I tried to absorb all of what was thrown our way and think about the next three months.

We, the philadelphianeighborhoods.com staff would be submerged into our city. The city that some of us, myself included, grew up in and that all of us have attended classes would now take on a new and different form.

When things happen in the city, I usually think about checking the event out, but rarely do. The comfort of my couch and convenience of the cable I pay so dearly for gives me a view into the world. I see what happened that day during the news and as my head hits the pillow I rarely think about the things that I missed witnessing first hand. This is my reality and from now on, it will become the past.

My first assignment has thrust me out into the world to see things I’d never thought I’d see. With our first assignment rolling around in my head, I was on the lookout for my story. When I first heard of the Philly Naked Bike Ride on the radio, it zapped the transmitters in my brain. I had planned to attend some craft thing, but the words naked and bike ride were too random to resist.

I had to go and I’m so glad that I did. I became part of the media circus. Amidst the flash of body paint and bicycle spokes were other reporters grabbing shots and names- covering the same story I was. It wasn’t just some weird idea that I had- It really WAS a story. I heard it, I followed it, and just like the professionals, I got the story.

I even knew one of the photographers that was freelancing for Philadelphia Weekly. All of the big three news channels were there interviewing people and an AP photographer was rude to me. I didn’t matter though. I was one of them. I soon came to realize that I was not alone.

There were several of us from MURL covering the event. We all had the same great idea. With strength in numbers, we stood waiting for the ride to begin- trying our best to keep it together, even in the face of naked exhilaration.

Kevin Cook and Marilyn S. D’Angelo 

Group 2 

Strawberry Mansion/Brewerytown