The violence and heartbreak started shortly after "heartbreak hill."
This year, mile marker 26 was dedicated to the memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting victims....the race directors even used an air-horn rather than a gun to start the race as a sign of respect.
One of the 3 deceased victims was an 8 year old boy, Martin Richard. Here is a photo of him holding a "No More Hurting People" sign. Life cannot get more incongruous than this.
George Takei
Another thought regards our collective loss of innocence and wonder. We need to expect good. We can't live our lives bundling our children and ourselves in cotton wool. The good in the world outweighs the bad. Heroes exist.
One of Dean's favorite quotes was by John Shedd: "A ship in the harbor is safe--but that is not what ships are built for." He was always much better than me at living this. I was always more the bundled-in-cotton-wool type. I fear we are in danger of enveloping our entire country in cotton wool....afraid of letting our children play outside...afraid of strangers and of unknown packages on the sidewalk....bogged down by security. Jack London said, "the proper function of man is to live--not to exist." I am struggling with this and questioning it in my own life right now.
Dare to be different
The marathon is an example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The Boston marathon on 4-15-2013 exemplified this. We must remember the heroes....those who get up, again and again, and who persevere. Dean was my hero.
Lastly, and I know I am stating the obvious here,...terrorism=cowardice.
"No just cause can be advanced by terrorism."---Koffi Anan
"How do you defeat terrorism? Don't be terrorized."---Salman Rushdie
"No more hurting people. Peace."---Martin Richard
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