I wrote this on Monday, and apparently did not publish it..until today. But I digress...
It may be cliché, and overused and worn out by this point, but I don't care. I'm still gonna say it. BOSTON STRONG! It is Marathon Monday, and I'm still proud, and protective, and emotional about my city and what it went through last Marathon Monday, and every day there after.
I was in Boston last year - at the Red Sox game with my Dad. The day was absolutely gorgeous, Yawkey Way bustled with activity and excitement. The Sox were all wearing the number "42" on their jersey, paying homage to Jackie Robinson. It was an exciting game that ended with an exciting walk off RBI double by Mike Napoli. The day was perfect. My dad and I left Fenway Park and shuffled along with the masses of people swarming around by the marathon route. I took a picture of a sign that said "1 mile to go" and turned to my dad - "want to head over to the finish line?" We both decided that the crowds were a little much for the both of us, and headed for the train station. I remember seeing runners that had already finished the race on the train, wrapped like baked potatoes in their space blankets, heading home from what I'm sure was an amazing, though exhausting day.
It wasn't until we were in the car, with the radio on, that I overheard talk of an explosion at the finish line. I turned the radio up - there was a lot of confusion, nobody knew exactly what had happened or if there were any casualties as of yet. All I could keep thinking was how grateful I was that we left when we did. The rest of that day, I will not go into. You know how it ended. Surreal and frightening.
April 18-19 I stayed up over 24 hours listening to the police scanners through an app on my phone the night they found the bombers. I remember that I was on PT (a Phish message board, of all places) when one of the users started a thread about a disturbance outside of where he lived, by MIT. At that point nobody knew there was a connection between this incident and the bombers, and it was a wild roller coaster of a ride following this story as it slowly unraveled. It really didn't seem like real life. To say it was a relief when they finally captured the remaining bomber (I don't even like to type his name) would be a huge understatement.
Which brings me to today. Marathon Monday 2014. Not a chance I would be near the crowds by the marathon, but as I walked through the North End on another perfect day, seeing just about everyone decked out in their Boston Strong attire, I smiled, though I had conflicting emotions. It was so infuriating and heartbreaking how those innocent lives were taken that day. But... in that horrific aftermath, how Boston and its community came together is just so amazing and humbling. This horrid thing that happened to our city truly brought us together and made us stronger...a tiny sliver of a silver lining.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of the slogan Boston Strong. That's what we all are. What we should be. Cliché be damned.
Listening playlist as of late:
Vary Lumar - various songs from their yet unreleased album
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Sting - The Last Ship
Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott's
Beth MacGray - (Amazing local talent, that blew me away at open mic night)
Steven Wilson - all albums, as usual. In particular: "London" a demo song.
Trey Anastasio Band - Live
Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion, especially Ljudet Innan, over and over again.
