I’m having a hard time drawing the line between how much to pay attention, to stay informed – and how much to ignore, to keep my sanity. (Note: since I drafted this blog, the suspect has been caught (alive).)
As you probably know, I used to live blocks from the finish line and loved Patriot’s Day. Seeing all the Boston marathoners take over my neighborhood was fabulous inspiration each year.
And it is tearing up my heart to see a city I so lovingly called home, and a sport I adore wrapped up in bad stuff.
(If you want the best updates which a couple of laughs thrown in here and there, I highly, highly recommend following @richietown – the highlight of my twitter feed and a funny Boston comedian.)
Going back to the blog title of oh so many things I don’t know – I don’t know if I should say anything at all. I had a hard time deciding whether to basically ignore it on the blog (there are SO many voices out there covering it, you don’t need mine), or to say something because this is my old home and my main sport/hobby. How do I not say anything at all?
I suppose all that I can say is I donated to this fundraising page today to try and help defray the costs of medical bills for a nurse Mass Gen who lost her left leg in the blast. (And there are two other links on the 4/19 update on that page to other fundraising pages for injured people.)
I cannot imagine what it’s like to lose a leg. That is unbelievably heart wrenching. And to think it happened as she was out there supporting other people… Just such a senseless tragedy. Her husband lost his left leg as well and is included in the fundraising page. (Learned all this from the Boston Globe article.)
To any even-slightly cynical people who think fundraising pages are perhaps overestimating injures – I have no idea if medical expenses for them will be more or less than what they raise, but I’m sure they will have to pay a LOT (a lot, a lot). And if somehow they actually have any money left over (doubtful) – good! They deserve a vacation, or help paying the bills, or anything else.
So, what all can we do? We can give to the fundraisers. (Note: After drafting this, I found another page listing more fundraisers. (Specifically, this one, and this one for a spectator who lost both of his legs (and helped identify the bombers)) And here’s yet another page that I found on twitter.)
(I actually ended up giving to every fundraiser I listed here. I say that not to say, “look at me give,” but just to say my money is where my mouth is. I’ve been through health problems. I know how stressful that all is. And I wish I was able to give these people the world.)
Okay, so what we can do besides give money? We can become CPR certified if we’re not already – just in case we ever find ourselves around something like this. (I know, hopefully we never will.)
And we can just put positive energy to the world. I encourage us all to hold the door open for someone, tell someone we love them, write a thank you card to someone for something – just whatever you think will do any good.
I don’t know what else to say. I think there’s nothing let to say. Stay safe everybody!
My heart is breaking reading these information. I am still having goosebumps when i think of it. I would have been there too in the explosion, if we didn’tdecide to go home.
Stay safe!
That’s so scary to think about. I’m glad you’re okay!
It’s crazy to think that day before the marathon, I was lamenting about not living there anymore because of how badly I wanted to go watch the race. I’ve always viewed a marathon as one of the safest places someone can possibly be. So, I’m still just… I don’t even know… the whole thing is horrible beyond words.
I gave to a few more fundraising pages today, ’cause I don’t know what else to do. The stories that are coming out are absolutely killer, and it seems like they’re never-ending!
And my legs mean everything to me. I remember when I had open heart surgery and was talking to my dad about the kind of extreme measures I wanted taken if anything were to go wrong while I was under – I remember saying, “If they have to take my legs for any reason, just let me die. I do not want to live in a world where I can’t run and dance and do all the things I love.” And maybe that’s an extremely childish and non-resiliant way to look at it. But, my legs are my everything. So, it rips my heart into a million pieces to hear of all these horrendous injuries and so many amputations that are changing people’s lives forever.