Again.
A terrorist attack yet again.
From someone who spent 36 straight hours in Lower Manhattan on September 11th, 2001 helping in a way I could have never imagined (that story at another time); my head started to swirl with the news coming from Boston Massachusetts yesterday. One of the world’s most famous runs, the Boston Marathon, was targeted for a full frontal terrorist attack yesterday.
Being at one of these before, I know the chaos and all that will follow. I know about loved ones looking for loved ones. I know about the blood, the pain, and also witnessing the death. It is indeed a sorrowful day in the United States and the also the world for that matter.
The magnitude difference aside in wounded and killed; Americans are once again realizing their world has been rocked as it has before. Once again many will suffer for years to come from the 176 people injured (17 still critical) and 3 fatalities (seems that many are also not out of danger yet so that number may unfortunately rise) or just being there to witness the horror. It stays with you…..forever.
Two bombs were detonated and more were found that were not. These will become important leads. In the United States there are many levels of law enforcement with varying degrees of specialty in training and resources. All work as one in this type- endeavor to bring to justice whoever (person or group) responsible for masterminding this attack. Presently, there has not been anyone identified.
Much came back to me in the last 24 hours. We were twelve years younger when that day happened in 2001. We are a tad ‘harder’ now. We are a tad this-is-the-world-we-live-in-attitude now. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to those who were impacted most in the Boston Marathon horror.
The most interesting thought that comes across me today, is one I had during the carnage of 2001; diabetes does not care.
This is not a time for any sort of comparison and THAT IS NOT WHAT I AM DOING here. But people with diabetes will not be able to just stop to grieve this attack on our country. Not just diabetes but so many who are tormented with any individual crisis cannot just jump off to ‘take-in’ this latest cowardly act. Life will continue. Good and/or bad, life will continue forward.
But for us, who know the diabetes perspective; everything that is done will need to continue to be done in those daily management issues; that will not change. The stress of this could very well even impact some and a closer eye should be connected to blood glucose numbers. Realize that stress of the events can play a role in your life.
And on this day, the day after, those impacted by diabetes will hurt like everyone else about what is going on. We will all continue because that is what we do. We are perfect students who have been trained to keep on moving forward……..because what other choice is there?
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2 replies on “A Massacre in Boston”
The worst of it all is that City Marathons are occasions that celebrate the human spirit. They are events devoid of politics, be that ethnic/ racial/ religious/ sexual/ gender/ disability/ social status politics, or some other kind that, for once in this world, matters not on these occasions.
I for one will be front and centre in London on Sunday, and perhaps here is your link, Tom. My JDRF team, of almost 200 runners of all ages and abilities, colours, creeds, religious convictions or otherwise, will run to raise well in excess of half a million dollars for diabetes research. I will be the from 6am setting up the supporter cheerleader zone at mile 22, opposite mile 13. We will stand the for over nine hours, from when the first wheelchair racer leaves Tower Bridge to power into Docklands, to when the slowest of our number hobble back up that hill at mile 22, ready for the last big push along the Embankment, last parliament square on to the finish at Buckingham Palace.
The spirit, the triumph of will, is so great, so unstoppable at these events. I ran London three times, and each time the crowds made me feel ten feet tall and more athletic than Michael Johnson, even though I looked and ran more like Walter Matthau chasing Jack Lemon in those Old Guy movies.
We shall overcome. The sight of those First Responders rushing headlong towards danger to save strangers is enough to tell us that.
Solidarity, Boston.
What a fabulous email Ash—-Thank you and best of luck to all of those runners across the pond.