The memory of April 15, 2013 will forever remain etched in my mind. Since 1978, some of my finest running moments have occurred at the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon, for a runner, is the ultimate validation. From all the corners of our planet, for one mid-April day, the obstacles we all face on our daily training runs, are absorbed in the cheers and adulation of crowds that seem to 'get' us. At Boston we are no longer freaks in tights. On the contrary, we are heroes, idols, what moms and dads hope their kids will be. In fact, for many a New Englander, to say, My brotha ran the race last year," stands out as a distinct badge of honor.
On Marathon weekend, there is a feeling in the city of Boston that, we all, indeed, are in this together. Runners, their families, volunteers, subway passengers, police, waitresses, and bartenders. In the air there is a euphoric, idyllic feeling. A runner's utopia.
The events of April 15 damaged utopia, but the strength of the many have diminished the sick, cowardly actions of the few.
A month after Boston my wife and I attended a Dropkick Murphys concert in Stroudsburg. The Irish punk band, rough and tatted, are excellent citizens of their hometown of Boston. For years they have given back to their city. McGreevy's Pub, on Boylston Street, is owned by the group's lead singer, Ken Casey. The Claddagh Fund is a charity established by Casey.
From the Charity's website:
"The Claddagh Fund is the charitable foundation of the Dropkick Murphys, founded by Ken Casey in 2009. Honoring the three attributes of the Claddagh Ring, Friendship, Love and Loyalty, the mission of the Claddagh Fund is to raise money for the most underfunded non-profit organizations that support vulnerable populations in our communities."
As of July Dropkick Murphys have raised over $300,000 for marathon bombing victims and their families.
After the concert in Stroudsburg, Casey spotted my yellow Boston 2013 shirt, asked me if I was there, embraced me and said, "Glad you're ok, man."
The Citgo sign rises as a beacon, illuminating the way as runners drag weary legs down the long stretch of Commonwealth Avenue. When a runner becomes one with the giant sign, almost as much a symbol of venerable Fenway Park as the Green Monster, a large "25" indicates that the journey from Hopkinton to the finish line has dwindled down to 1.2 miles.
The early Red Sox game had ended by the time the explosions occurred, but the Red Sox season, which continues into the World Series tomorrow night, has been a season-long tribute to the victims, the doctors, nurses, police, and first responders.
The "B Strong" logo adorns the Green Monster, the players' sleeves, and in the outfield grass. But more than symbolic are the actions of the members of the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
When the team returned from its first road trip in Cleveland, the players split into five groups of five and visited five local hospitals where bombing victims were being treated.
Shane Victorino sported a "B Strong" shirt that read, "In support of the victims," when he hit the grand slam that won Saturday night's game.
In late April, The Red Sox honored victims police, local officials, and emergency personnel, before a game. Big Papi brought down the house, when he emphatically proclaimed, "This is our f---ing city!"
So, forgive me if Dropkick Murphys dominates my iPod, and if I hope to watch a Red Sox World Series victory parade rolling down Boylston.
Go Boston.
Strong!
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