Reflections on the Boston Marathon tragedy

The Boston Marathon is a time-honored tradition in Boston, Massachusetts.  Runners and spectators from across the country and around the globe come to Boston on Patriot's Day, or "Marathon Monday", as it has come to be known in Boston.

Cups all over Natick Center  - another Marathon Tradition

Qualifying runners and bandits alike come together to celebrate and test their strength and endurance along the 26.2 mile course from rural Hopkinton to the heart of Copely Square.

This is a tradition 117 years strong.  I have been attending the Marathon for as long as I can remember.  My parents ran the race in 1992, 1993, 1996, 2008 and 2011.  My 8th grade science teacher ran in 1998 for cancer research in support of our assistant principal, Mr. Adreani.   In 2009, I lived on Beacon St, just outside Cleveland Circle at the 22 mile mark.  I am no runner, but the Boston Marathon is a part of me.

My parents have been volunteering in some capacity or another for nearly 15 years.  2 years ago, I joined them.  Every year, on the day before Marathon Monday, we work at the information kiosk in Copely Square.  We talk to the runners and their family and friends, giving them directions or advice.  We explain how to navigate Boston's MBTA system, or the "T"  as it's known around these parts.  Sometimes, we give them suggestions on where to dine that night.  It's a fun tradition.  We get to meet people from all over the world, and be a part of one of Boston's biggest events.  The Boston Marathon jackets that we get as part of our volunteer stint are pretty nice too!

The 2013 Info Booth Crew

Every year, if I can manage it, I try to get as close to the finish line as I can.  I like to be there to cheer on the runners as they make their final turn from Hereford St onto Boylston St and push for the finish line.  I like to shout words of encouragement or take pictures of the funny costumes.

Guys dressed as Solo Cups at the 2011 marathon

On April 15, 2013, I headed into Boston like it was any other Marathon Monday.  I had spoken with my parents earlier in the day and we planned to meet in Copely Square around 2:30pm.  I drove towards Oak Grove Station to park my car, and had a little bit of a wait before I could get a spot.  Little did I know, this was a blessing in disguise.

I parked my car, and took the Orange Line to North Station, where I switched to the Green Line to head towards the finish line.  Throughout my train ride, I wondered to myself if I should get off the train at Arlington or Hynes (Copely Station was closed because of the Marathon).  The green line crawled along.  We finally pulled into Arlington Station, and the MBTA officials were asking everyone to get off the train and out of the station.  At first, I just assumed it was typical MBTA problems.  Maybe it was a switching problem or a medical emergency or something.  I exited the station, and immediately started receiving texts from friends and family asking me if I was okay.  I was confused because I couldn't figure out how they knew about the T problem, let alone that I was on that T.

Soon, news began to unfold about what was going on.  The city was in mass chaos.  People were crying in the streets and running for safety.  I finally got through to my parents who were cheering on their friends about 5 miles down the road, near Boston College.  They were still fuzzy on the details about what was going on, other than the fact that the whole MBTA was now shut down.  They suggested that I head towards  the common and meet them at the State House.  Their plan was to head up Beacon Street, and meet me there.  

I made my way to Boston Common, only stopping once I got out of the crowds.  I updated facebook to alert friends and family that my parents and I were all okay.  I reached the State House steps and received a few more phone calls from aunts and uncles and a close friend from work.  I filled everyone in as much as I could, and waited.

The next time I spoke to my parents, they called to tell me that due to police presence and street closures, they were unable to get out of Kenmore Square.  Their new plan was to back track and head towards Cambridge.  They suggested that I walk down Beacon St, down Charles St, over the Fiedler Footbridge and over to the Esplanade.  We would meet there as soon as we could get there.  

I sat on the steps by the Hatch Shell and waited.  After what seemed like hours, I finally met up with my family, and we walked back to their car, which was parked in the Boston Common garage.  They dropped me off at my car at Oak Grove.  It was a long day, but we all made it home safely.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families.  I can't stop thinking about little Martin from Dorchester, who lost his life at just 8 years old.   I think about Krystle, another marathon spectator who is exactly my age, and was another victim of Monday's horrible tragedy.

I'm grateful that my family and friends and I were all okay.  I've never been more grateful for a slow Green Line train.  If it had been on time, I may have been in Copely Square 10 minutes earlier.  I could have been there during the explosion.  I'm grateful for the friends and family who checked in with me throughout the day.   I guess there's really no way to wrap this up neatly, so I'm going to end here.  Thank you for reading, and please feel free to add your own reflections in the comments section. 

New Hampshire

I've had this whole week off.  My boss decided that we'd be slow enough to be closed all week.  It's unpaid, but it's also a welcome escape.

On Monday, I headed up to New Hampshire to visit my cousins who have a place up there.  Their cottage is a cute little cabin in the woods off the beaten track in the town of Raymond.  I've been there before, and usually taken 93 to 101, but the GPS wanted me to get off 93 at the 495 exit.  Always one to do what I'm told, I figured "why not?" got off the exit.  It led me to Route 125 in Plaistow, NH.

As I drove, I thought it was actually pretty appropriate, as that's the route that we always took to go camping in Hampstead, NH when I was a kid.  I even stopped for a coke at the Wendy's on 125 in Plaistow, NH, since my grandparents always took me there for lunch on the way up to the campground.

I arrived at the cottage during the late morning, and spent the day relaxing by the lake.  It was a great day.

Reflections on the Glee season finale

If you haven't seen the Glee Season 3 finale yet, and are planning to, I advise you not to read any further as there are spoilers abound.

I felt like this episode flowed more like a series finale.  Many of the characters were graduating seniors.  There preparations to move forward and say goodbye to their peers along with the tying up of loose ends made it feel very much like we weren't going to see these characters ever again.

I've read in a few different articles, that we will be seeing many of these characters again, so it might not really be goodbye.

Over the course of the last few episodes of the season, the Glee Club won a national championship, and the respect of their peers.  Will and Emma discussed their upcoming wedding.  So many things happened; so many loose ends were tied up.  Even though the Glee Class of 2012 will be appearing in season 4 episodes, I wonder if the new season will go the way of Saved by the Bell.  After the main characters graduated, the New Class episodes weren't the same.

Anyway, it's just a thought.

Rachel got into NYADA, and Finn did not.  That was a shock.  I kind of assumed that by some miracle, Rachel would get in despite choking at the audition, kind of like how I assumed that Puck would magically pass 12th grade just in time for graduation.  I never thought Kurt would get rejected though.  Finn didn't get into the Actor's Studio, which meant that Rachel would be heading to New York alone.  She chose to defer enrollment for a year and help Kurt and Finn with their auditions so all 3 of them could go to New York together.

At the end of the episode, Rachel and Finn were in the car, and Rachel assumed they were on their way to their wedding, but Finn was actually taking her to the train station with a ticket to New York.  He told her that he didn't want her to stay in Lima for him.  They broke up, and he walked her to the platform, where, SURPRISE! the entire glee club and Mr. Schuster were waiting for her so they could say goodbye.   Not only was the breakup a shock, but the fact that everyone knew about it except for Rachel was kind of a weird plot twist.

Even though it was a sad ending, it was realistic.  Sometimes people have to let go of things in order to find new experiences.  Like Finn said, if they're meant to be together, they'll find their way back to each other.

I don't really know how to wrap this up, but I'm not being graded.  It's a blog post, not an essay.