Marathon Monday

 

These are not my pictures.

The Boston Marathon is Monday. I remember back in the 80's, I was working downtown in a store we have at the Prudential Center.

The finish line is just up the street from the above picture. I do remember watching runners go by when I went outside for a break. Of course if you were scheduled to leave early in the afternoon you were going nowhere unless you were leaving by public transportation and that wasn't easy either. Still it is a thrill to witness an event that draws people from all over the world. Around 30,000 runners and about a million people lining the course. As I poked around the web about the marathon I came across a bunch internet trolls claiming the bombing was all staged and they all claimed to have proof. Of course all their proof came from shady websites. They claim all the injured were actors. One guy said his proof was a still picture taken from a video showing an FBI agent smiling. A still picture where this clown knew it was an FBI agent who was caught in mid expression which he conveniently assumed was a smile because it fit his scenario. Yeah it was all a big joke. So I got into it with a couple of these internet trolls who had no proof and no reason to explain why it was staged and then they began to mock the city, it's inhabitants and the notorious accent. Yes we have, not all of us, the accent and I admit it's not the prettiest accent around, but then they started taking shots at the city itself. Now we have our problems. A street layout that was laid out in the 17th century that is confusing to residents and must seem impossible to out of stators. When I see cars from other states, and there are a lot of them with 250,000 students alone from everywhere coming here every year, I do feel sorry for them but they still come here. And I do admit that it angered me when I read all the negative comments about Boston. I really don't have to defend the city, the history and the list of firsts are pretty impressive when compared to other U.S. cities. I'm not saying this is the greatest city in the country. There plenty of infuriating things about it. But it is my home and I must admit that despite all the problems it's a wonderful place to live with so much to offer. But what really set me off was claiming the whole bombing was staged while giving no reason why and claiming that the people killed were all living in different states. As I said when it happened, Krystle Campbell lived around the corner from me. Now I have no personal connection with her but Arlene and her daughters (twins) knew her. They are the same age. They played at each others houses when they were kids. It affected them and by extension it affected me. As I drove home from work I wondered why there were all these television trucks from around the country around the corner from my house. I was listening to music not the news.  And these cemented headed internet trolls really pissed me off. The pictures of people with their legs blown off, bones sticking out, were what they called "amputee actors". Now in reality I shouldn't have been drawn in to this debate but I was. They insulted the victims, the people and the city. Now I wasn't the only one who went after them and those people weren't just from Boston or Massachusetts. A tragedy is a tragedy no matter where it happens. Boston, New York, Connecticut, Paris, Belgium, all were horrific events. It's the world we live in. I often think about it when I am working. What's to stop some lunatic from walking into the supermarket with a bomb or machine gun? Nothing. It could happen anywhere. These are the times we live in. 

 

Well I just had to get this off my chest. It took me buying a small digital camera about 10 years ago to make me really appreciate where I live. Do I love my hometown? Yes I do. Am I proud of it? I sure am. When I go to work in the morning I drive down a road which is as old as the city itself, both my city and Boston, I see the skyline in the distance and I think how lucky I am to live here.

 

Ok. Rant over. Thanks for reading.

I'm outta here.