Split Second
I had been following the Boston Marathon from home as I wrote. My niece was along the route, cheering on her father who was running his first marathon. He had been training for a long time, running smaller races as he built up to this. Better him than me, I thought, over the idea of doing anything for 26.2 miles. My niece texted me an update; he was doing great
I left the computer and telephone to pick up the twins from school along with their friend. I walked into the house not knowing that anything was wrong. I only learned about the marathon when I walked to the computer to switch it to the Wolvog’s log in so the boys could use the computer. Explosion at the Boston Marathon.
And in a split second, everything changed.
My ex-brother-in-law is okay, he wasn’t finished with the race yet. So many people are not okay.
My body feels ill, heavy, as if there is something viral coursing through my veins. The last time I felt like this was during the Newtown shootings, when the day went from unremarkable to devastating in a matter of seconds. What kind of world do we live in where there are no safe spaces? Where a race, meant to raise money for charities, can be ripped apart by bombs? When elementary schools can be shot out?
I’m just speechless.
19 comments
I am glad your niece and ex-brother-in-law are okay. I truly hope that all the injuries are minimal. I don’t understand why anyone would want to do this. Thinking of all who are in Boston x
Very sad – and completely pointless. No point in asking why because, as rational people, we will never understand the answer. Thinking of the victims and all who were affected…
They are continuing to find undetonated devices around the city. Still waiting to hear from some ppl. Know many ppl connected/working directly with the City and it is chaotic downtown they’re telling me.
It is terribly frightening to think that it could have been much, much worse. Pretty soon we aren’t going to feel safe going out and doing anything 🙁
I feel sick and so sad too.
A few hours ago I was following a childhood friend’s updates on Facebook, he had traveled there with his sister who was running the marathon today. We had some back and forth about how I have loved spectating here in Chicago in recent years, as one of my extended family members has become a regular runner/pace group leader and I so enjoy being one of her supporters, following her along the route and cheering for her.
I did get word that my friend, his sister and their family are safe. She had already finished the race when it happened.
It is hard to wrap my brain around tragedies like this. I don’t understand why kind of person/people does this. Holding everyone touched by this close in my thoughts and prayers.
It is shocking and heartrending. The news came in almost immediately following the detonation of the first two bombs (now that we know what they were) and I’ve been watching the coverage. It is just unimaginable but, not, given these times we live in. And that is some statement.
The fact that they are finding other undetonated bombs in and around the city, that lives have already been lost and many injured makes this a dark black day in our history.
There is evil among us, always, now. And, yet, we hear that it could have been so much worse as if to say this loss of life, these injuries, evil brought to what should have been a celebration of athleticism isn’t horrible enough.
Horrible.
Horrifying… And what a chilling image of many flags of the world blown down next to each other. Thinking of Boston, and stay safe in other big centres in the US…
What a terrible, senseless, tragedy.
Glad your family is safe. Prayers to the injured & their family.
Awful, awful happenings. I have just got off the phone with one of my closest friends who has run the marathon since 2007 – I hadn’t known until just now that he pulled out of the race 2 weeks ago due to an injured knee. I’m still shaking…
I’m very glad your family are safe.
Glad your relatives are safe. 🙁 I just read that more than 2,000 Canadians were running in the race (not to mention people there to cheer them on). Makes it feel even closer to home, sadly. 🙁 I was looking around me a lot more as we walked through the commuter train station tonight. 🙁
Thinking of those affected… I can’t even imagine. Horrible.
I am glad that your family is safe. My husband was running and his parents are with him. I am so thankful that he is fine, he finished prior to the explosion. I feel so blessed that my husband and in laws are safe but at the same time I am heart broken for all those who are hurt.
Glad your bil is ok. Definitely the question to ask.
Having lived in Boston for many years, this feels so very personal to me. I’m holding tight to the images of people running TOWARD the blasts, and praying for the victims and their families.
It was a cowardly, cowardly act.
A friend was running and thankfully is safe. Mel, I had the same Sandy Hook reaction. And once again I had to sneak away to another room to go online and then return to the girls, not saying a word and feeling so very sorry that their world looks so different from that of my childhood, and they will never know anything else.
No words.
I had the TV on as background noise (ah, naptime). I said to my husband later that I saw the same thing I always see, which causes immediate nausea and light-headedness: breaking news, chaos, something smoking, an “estimate of the casualties.” And it immediately makes me want to cry, and sit, and go wake my daughter up to squeeze her all at the same time. So glad your family members are all right.