On Boston.

My whole heart goes out to the victims of yesterday’s tragedy in Boston.  To those killed and injured.  To those whose loved ones were killed or injured.  And to those who undoubtedly underwent unimaginable terror and uncertainty as they tried to determine what was going on around them and how their loved ones had been impacted.  I also lament the underlying effect that all tragedies of this sort have in common: the dent that is left in the unparalleled sense of safety that we enjoy as Americans, and which we so often take for granted.

Sure, yesterday’s bombing was an attack against the running community, just as 9-11 was an attack on New Yorkers, Virginia Tech an attack on Hokies, Newtown an attack on school children.  But all of these tragedies also have a common victim: the sense of security that has long been an American privilege.  The scene we saw in Boston- replayed again and again on every news reel, printed on the front page of every newspaper across the nation- is alarmingly common in parts of this world.  But here in America, a scene like this invokes shock and horror.  We generally expect that we will be safe at our workplace, in our schoolroom, going about our day-to-day lives, and events like this contradict that assumption.

But we must not allow this sort of evil act to make us go about our daily lives with fear.  College campuses didn’t become less safe on April 17, 2007, elementary school classrooms didn’t become any less safe on December 14, 2012, and running your next marathon will be no less safe than running your last.  The lesson to learn from any tragedy is that life is fragile and uncertain.  Every time you say goodbye to someone you love, no matter how young or old, no matter how long it will be until you expect to see them again, you should hug them the same way you hug your elderly grandparents or your brother who is about to ride around the world on a motorcycle.

We must also not allow this sort of evil act to make us question the state of human nature.  I’ll admit, one of my first reactions was fear for what a fucked up world we live in.  But at the same time, this sort of unspeakable tragedy always illustrates the inherent kindness of the human heart.  You see individuals risking their safety, offering up their homes, their money and their blood, all for complete strangers in a time of need.  And it makes you reassess your doubt in human nature.

Johanna