I'm stepping away from exhibits here briefly, because I just have to say something about the horrible events that took place in Boston yesturday. I went to Boston University for college and was lucky enough to call Boston home for those four years. Walks down Newberry Street and Boylston were a common occurrence, trips to the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church a normal, everyday thing. The area around Copley has always been associated with good memories for me, from early morning yoga classes to the western themed party in Copley Square for the Massachusetts General Convention of the Episcopal Church to the spring Farmer's Market to the BU Ball at the Copley Marriott.
And the day itself - Marathon Monday/Patriots Day - was the best day in the city, we use to joke that it was like Christmas Day for any BU student. Getting up ridiculously early for a day off from class, going to a friend's for kegs and eggs (probably the only food you would have until that night), moving from party to party, watching the elite runner finish the race on T.V., before heading out to the race course to watch as the rest of the runners approached the finish line.
My apartment senor year overlooked Beacon Street, right at the last mile mark. We would line the road, cheering everyone on as they got towards the finish mark, trying to lift the spirits of the runners as they went by. It was a day where everyone came together.
And now that all seems tarnished. Because someone/ or a some group figured out just how special that one day is to everyone in the city, not just the runners. Because of a selfish/hateful act.
I spent my day refreshing my Facebook feed, hoping to see more friends in the city checking in letting friends and family know that they were ok. I know its just Facebook, but it with the phones down in the city, it was like a lifeline for those of us waiting for news. And as those check-ins came in, the most prominent type of postings that I saw with each page refresh were prayers and thoughts going out to the people of Boston from friends who were spread out around the country. It maybe that my feed was flooded with these types of posts because I went to school in Boston. But as the day wore on, I saw more and more posts from friends who didn't have ties to the city. The outpouring of love and support for the city made me remember how people come together in times of tragedy.
I also saw different quotes go up on Facebook and certain ones stuck with me. The quote from Mr. Rodgers, where he says to look for the helpers, because there are always those helping in during tragedies, is one that may seem a bit over used at this point, but is so try. When I saw footage of the first explosion, I was in a state of shock. But as the news stations continued to air it, I looked more closely. I saw all the emergency medical professionals, the firefighters, and the police run towards the area of the explosions. I saw Marathon volunteers trying to help with whatever they could.
Yesterday, one of my favorite cities in the world was rocked by an act of terrorism. But instead of the explosions creating waves of terror, the city reacted with order and immediate aid. Runners who had just finished the Marathon continued running to Mass General Hospital to give blood, Bostonians opened their homes to those who had been displaced, and the city as a whole has responded with acts of love and compassion.
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