Thank You, Phoenixville

Hello all,

My name is Edwin Soto. While I may have the privilege of knowing some of you in person, I'd like to introduce myself to the rest of you and say that I genuinely look forward to meeting each of you face to face as I am one of the North Ward Candidates for Borough Council.

As this election draws to a close, I feel the need to unequivocally state something that you all already know. Phoenixville is a phenomenal place full of amazing people. The reason I point out this obvious statement is because as a first time candidate I have been fortunate enough to learn this first hand.

Firstly, I should preface this by saying that the North Ward of Phoenixville, in comparison to the other wards of Phoenixville, is truly massive in area. As most candidates have in local elections, I have gone door to door introducing myself to my neighbors: some live a few blocks away, some within a necessary car or bike ride's distance, others that live atop huge flights of stairs, while there are still those that live quite a distance from their nearest neighbors. Being able to meet each one of you on your doorsteps, has without hesitation, been a life-altering as well as humbling experience for me. With that being said, I  would like to share with you, some of the amazing encounters that I have had within our neighborhood.

During my early days I found myself meeting someone I met a few months prior. When he opened his door, his two very young children were playing inside. The youngest was having a laugh at the silliness of his dog. The oldest was testing to see if her dad would yell at her while a stranger was at the front door. So she jumped over and over again on the couch (even after her dad told her not to do so). It was truly a delight to see him again, and as I glanced inside at his piano from the door, he told me that he was a piano tuner. We had a fantastic discussion about music composition.

The next day I walked onto a beautifully landscaped yard that was unfortunately hidden from general view for others to enjoy. I was amazed at this fact as I rang the doorbell. This prompted one of the funniest door greetings you can imagine. A young lady opened the door with the most pizzazz imaginable and says, “Hooray, the pizza’s here!” I couldn’t help but laugh. Unfortunately, I didn't have a pie for her but we did have a great conversation to which she ended with “Next time bring pizza, not brochures, ok?”

That same night just down the street I met a family who had just moved in that week, as evident by all the boxes and an unpacked television.  It was a pleasure to welcome them to the neighborhood and we discussed at length all the wonderful things Phoenixville has to offer the community. Then I crossed the street.

Across that street a gentleman opened his door and his two children went on excitedly about how they go to Renaissance Academy, and they were so elated because they now had these “new neighbors with kids” they “can play with every day!” After that his daughter showed me how much Spanish she had learned by letting me quiz her on the numbers and days of the week.

A few days later, on the trail, I noticed it was getting dark and figured it was time to go home. I was close enough to walk back home and took a fairly secluded street. There I found a guy out on his porch, just relaxing on one of the last few warm nights of the fall, with a bottled beer and cigarette. I decided to approach and introduce myself and, as if I had known him my whole life, he asked me to sit with him and offered me a beer. I accepted his seat and politely declined his beer. We talked a bit about sports, our town, and then I got up and told him I’d take him up on his drink offer some time soon.

On another memorable walk during a rain storm, I knocked on a resident’s door. She had two teenage boys, who were quietly bickering at each other. One of them alerted mom that “Someone’s at the door!”, to which she then asked “Who?”. He replies “I don’t know! Some man.” I typically expect a parent, as I would in this situation, to go and see who this stranger at her door was. But instead I hear her say from the other room “Tell him to come in.” I was a bit surprised at this random act of hospitality from someone who had never met or even seen me before. She told me all about how her family has been involved in Phoenixville’s local politics for decades. I was honored to hear her family’s relationship with our town.

These are just a small handful of the wonderful encounters I’ve had in our community. Some of you have invited me into your homes, let me watch the Eagles’ game with you, offered me a drink of water, invited my family over for dinner and wine, and so much more. And yes, not everyone I met was a beaming ray of sunshine. But for every person that did not have the time to talk, there were easily a hundred that showed me what a great community we live in. Getting to know all of you has truly been an honor.

Aristotle is credited with the quote “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” I really enjoyed getting close to those parts (and before you ask, yes, I do know of these “parts” by name but chose not to include them to preserve their anonymity). And yes, I agree that as a whole, my neighborhood is extraordinary and it would be an honor to represent that whole. No matter what the outcome this Tuesday, you have all become a wonderful piece of my personal history. For that, all I can say is: Thank You, Phoenixville.

Sincerely Yours,

Edwin