The recent tragedy at the Boston marathon shocked the world. As an avid runner, I'm sickened at the thought of so much hatred in such a discordant context. A marathon is an event of human triumph...over self, nature, pain. How can one now ever think of running and not be moved to feelings of despair, futility, pain. I read dozens of posts on facebook about 'hearts going out to' and 'prayers being with' Bostonians, but this all seemed a bit of an underplay. As if my thoughts or the desires inside of me will help someone across the country deal with this.
In the darkest of my thoughts, and the anger that came along with them I'm fortunate to have the influence of people better than me to help. Ironically, it was the 'thoughts and desires' in the form of my niece's rantings on facebook that turned me around on this one. As an introduction, my niece is one of the sweetest and most genuine people on the planet.
'My initial reaction after was to reason angrily at whoever was twisted enough to do this. I passed most of my morning trying to understand what even happened. I was angry at the world, and despaired for everyone's future. What kind of planet are we, to mindlessly hurt one another?'
Then she made the moral leap that I was too cynical, too stuck in my own anger to make. She talked about what you can see in the pictures in Boston, about people helping each other, about people's hearts really 'going out' to others. '...as a society, we are still good. We still care, love, and want to protect one another as a whole. My faith in mankind, and also my beliefs are confirmed today by the people in Boston.'
Beyond the pain and horror of the event is what everyone says about it. Everywhere I go, I get a short discussion on terrorism in America. The administrator in my building just gave me a 5 minute lecture on how 'these guys aren't evil, if you want to see evil, take the guys who are inventing time machines. (perplexed, awkward silence on my part) Yeah, these guys are inventing time machines so they can go back to when everyone was born so they can abort them all! (another, more perplexed, and even more awkward silence on my part) -Ummm...I have to go, um, over there.'
I guess, in summary, there are a whole range of crazy people out there. From the amusing to the disturbing to the amusingly disturbing.
In the darkest of my thoughts, and the anger that came along with them I'm fortunate to have the influence of people better than me to help. Ironically, it was the 'thoughts and desires' in the form of my niece's rantings on facebook that turned me around on this one. As an introduction, my niece is one of the sweetest and most genuine people on the planet.
'My initial reaction after was to reason angrily at whoever was twisted enough to do this. I passed most of my morning trying to understand what even happened. I was angry at the world, and despaired for everyone's future. What kind of planet are we, to mindlessly hurt one another?'
Then she made the moral leap that I was too cynical, too stuck in my own anger to make. She talked about what you can see in the pictures in Boston, about people helping each other, about people's hearts really 'going out' to others. '...as a society, we are still good. We still care, love, and want to protect one another as a whole. My faith in mankind, and also my beliefs are confirmed today by the people in Boston.'
Beyond the pain and horror of the event is what everyone says about it. Everywhere I go, I get a short discussion on terrorism in America. The administrator in my building just gave me a 5 minute lecture on how 'these guys aren't evil, if you want to see evil, take the guys who are inventing time machines. (perplexed, awkward silence on my part) Yeah, these guys are inventing time machines so they can go back to when everyone was born so they can abort them all! (another, more perplexed, and even more awkward silence on my part) -Ummm...I have to go, um, over there.'
I guess, in summary, there are a whole range of crazy people out there. From the amusing to the disturbing to the amusingly disturbing.
It made me mad, too. Did you see the older man just getting ready to cross the finish line when the bomb went off? He collapsed, and I cried. Then the dad who was pushing his child in a jogging stroller. It's an event immediately close to everyone's hearts and emotions. Also, I just started reading "Unbroken," about Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner-become-prisoner-of-war during WWII. It makes me miss you, because you're the closest thing to an Olympic runner that I know (I obviously don't know many people). So no going back in time in your newly-invented time machines (you know that professor was talking about you) and enlisting in the air corps of WWII. Don't! For me.
ReplyDeleteBryce, I'm not sure I believe the line about humanity ultimately being good. We've got too long a history proving otherwise. I think individuals can still care, love etc. But you'll have to convince me about humans as a whole.
ReplyDeleteWendy, Liz and I read Unbroken too. You forgot to mention that he holds the record for longest at sea in a rubber boat without food or water. Coincidentally, about 2 weeks after I finished the book 90 year old Louis Zamperini came and spoke here on base. He's a straight talking guy who tells a pretty good joke.