April 15, 2013

I debated about posting on Facebook but my thoughts are so scattered and so many, it would be a long post.  Plus, I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm just looking to express my thoughts.

I was sitting at my desk today and a co-worker was standing there when an alert came to my phone.  I didn't look at it until another co-worker commented that there had been two explosions in Boston.  It immediately hit me that the Boston Marathon was still running.

I started looking online for information and first went to CNN.  They were reporting that people were injured at the finish line.  My heart sank and I'm still sad to the point of wanting to cry.

As I compose this, this I know: two people people are dead; many people are injured; some people are having amputations; and many people are emotionally scarred for life.

I've watched the news footage many times and one of the first thing I noticed is that when the explosion occurred people ran away but the police officers ran to the scene.  They didn't hesitate.

The second thing I noticed is that it occurred at the 4 hour 9 minute mark of the marathon.  This means that the elite runners had already finished the 26.1 mile course.  It also means that the slower runners would not be able to complete the course.  I'm sure that for many of them, completing the Boston Marathon was on their Bucket List.  I'm also sure that many of them didn't qualify for Boston but raised money for a charity to qualify.

I'm hearing stories that as the runners were diverted away from the finish line many of them ran to local hospitals to donate blood.  Yet another set of heroes.

I guess what really is tearing at my heart is the fact that many of the injured were in the crowd of spectators cheering for a friend or a family member to complete the 26.1 course.  Runners know that it is the crowd that can give them the extra spurt of energy to keep going when you want to quit.

Will Rogers said it best, "We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by."

 

I think we're all waiting to hear the outcome of today's events.  It's a reminder that bad things happen to good people and none of us are safe.