For Christians Lent begins Wednesday, which means it's time to abstain from the things you love for 40 days. (Yay.) While many people give up the basics, like TV, social media, a favorite food, we take a look at all things Philly to give you ten things to (potentially) abstain from.
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From Hoagies to all things Gritty, there are some Philly-esque things that may, in fact, be worth the added sacrifice, but there are certainly a number of things on this list that, sure, we could abstain from. Will we? Probably not.
The list ranks in order from doable to downright impossible.
Hoagies
Philly loves their hoagies and Lent is all about fasting. Think of all the carbs you could potentially cut out. Heck, think of all the weight you could lose from not eating all that bread. Cutting out carbs also leads to more energy, which may lead to more productivity, which means you can "get that bread" without the added calories. Just sayin'.
Going to Wawa for everything
This one is difficult but can be done! Buy what you need at the grocery store. Bring your breakfast and lunch from home. Drink the coffee at work or get your coffee at one of the hundreds of coffee shops around the city. Don't become consumed by all the candy and random little things. You can do this!
Trash talking other football teams
Considering it’s not football season anymore this is doable. The Eagles will always be #1 in Philly's eyes, no matter the season, but I think we can lay off the trash talk for 40 days, no? The NFL draft won't even begin until late April when Lent is over. Let's embrace football harmony.
Don’t curse someone out just because they disagree with you
Speaking of harmony, I know this one is hard, but is biting your tongue really that difficult? Must we hate on our neighbors? Keep Philly about brotherly love for Lent and just take a breath.
Badmouthing the PPA
They’re just trying to do their jobs. Never mind the time I received four tickets four days in a row for a just expired out-of-state inspection sticker even though I had clearly not been to my car in those four days. They’re just trying to do their job...or, you know, kill us, slowly. At the very least don’t let your anger get the best of you.
Complaining about SEPTA
Maybe instead of complaining and blaming your entire life on SEPTA, we should all take a step back and slow down. Have you ever thought to consider that maybe the trains are randomly running slow because the SEPTA gods are actually trying to make you stop and appreciate life more? …No? Yeah, me either.
Gritty anything
Potentially doable, so not impossible, but this one will be difficult. First of all, it's still hockey season. Second of all, while some people really don't care for all the Gritty love, most people are still obsessed with it. (I mean, he's pretty adorable. You know in his own awkward, sometimes creepy, sort of way.) So, maybe you can abstain from Gritty things, but how are you going to completely ignore this wonderful creature?
Talking about Aaron Nola
Baseball season is upon us and considering the Phillies can't stop loving on Nola even when it's not baseball season, I think it's safe to say this one is nestled pretty deeply in impossible territory. Also, who doesn't love Aaron Nola?
Talking about Bryce Harper
LOL. Like that’s going to happen anytime soon.
Complaining about potholes
If there is one thing people in Philly love to do, it's complain about potholes. Philly as a city is actually not that terrible at fixing potholes. (I've certainly lived in a few places that were not as quick as Philly.) But the real reason this one is number one is because even if you try to cut this out, you know you'll slip up anyway. It doesn't matter if you ride a bike, walk, or drive - complaining about potholes is honestly the one thing, next to sports, that draws us the closest together.
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