You guys, there are more PHine things about life in Philly than we can possibly enumerate in a single blog post: the culture, the people, the food (one whiz with?), and, of course, art and history.

One museum in particular (come on, we know you know the one) springs to mind: the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This month alone it’s playing host to priceless exhibits featuring Rubens, Michelangelo, Titian, Audobon and Warhol. What’s not to LOVE?

Alas, these masters aren’t necessarily the only draw for visitors to the museum. It’s those famous Rocky steps (72 of them, to be exact) leading up to its front doors that garner so much attention.

All year long, tourists sprint to the top, white earphone chords bobbing, Rocky’s theme song blasting between their ears. One by one they bound triumphantly to the last stair for a glimpse of greatness, if only in their own minds (then they stop for a liberating photo op with the Rocky’s bronze likeness at the base of the stairs).

What caught our attention this week, and inspired this rePHlective post is that the first Rocky film debuted over FOUR DECADES AGO. What’s more, the newest Rocky franchise film, Creed, hits theaters TODAY!  Here’s the really crazy, part: Sly Stallone is garnering Oscar buzz, according to Variety.com. Yeah, let that one soak in for a moment.

Is it a world gone mad? Maybe, but if that’s crazy, we’re on board. Just look at this guy. Not too shabby for age 69, right?

 

 

It’s impossible to resist how much these events resemble a real-life comeback kid story reminiscent of the original movie itself. And in the weeks following so much devastation abroad, and plenty of frustrating political theater here at home, we’re ready to celebrate life, liberty, second, and third, and fourth… chances!