Bostonians...Cut From The Same Cloth

September 1, 2011 I was standing in the stairwell that led up to the Bentley cafeteria, next to my teammates roommate Britney looking down at the footage of the second plane hitting the world trade center.  Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in my car in Lake Wales, FL waiting to go into a meeting when I learned of the bombings in Boston.  If I still lived in Boston I would have been at the marathon as I had been so many years before.  The emotions of fear, sadness, and disbelief were even stronger then September 11 because Boston is where I am from.  My immediate thought like others was to make sure friends and family were not near the blast and were safe. Next to pray for those that were suffering both physically and emotionally. To pray for those first responders and heroes that were running in, while others were running out.  Thoughts for those that were enjoying a beautiful day in Boston that was disrupted so innocently by terror.

Last week I wrote about the spirit of sport at the Final Four.  This week I write about the spirit of sport as it relates to the Boston Marathon.  For those that live outside Boston you have to get the picture in your head of what the Boston Marathon means to the city and the people of Massachusetts. It's one of the most highly anticipated days of the year.  Picture thousands of talented athletes whether they are 3 hour finishers or 6 hour finishers together at the starting line of the tree lined streets of a tiny, beautiful suburban town found in many places across America.  Their charge and motivation is to make it from that tiny little town to the big city of Boston along one of the most challenging marathon running routes ever.  But the beauty of this race is that unlike many other marathons for 26.2 total miles the route is fully lined with families, friends, spectators, watching athletes endure and being inspired by their strength and perseverance to make it through.  Marathon Monday is a day were New Englanders, Bostonians, and people from around the world come together to support one another.  The firefighters outside the stations in Framingham, the woman from Wellesley College cheering (notably the loudest point along the route), the crowd at Heartbreak Hill as these runners endure the most brutal part of the race after already running 20 miles, and then running through to the end down Beacon and Boylston and what  I can only imagine as complete euphoria as they cross that finish line.

See I have never run the marathon, to be honest up until one of my good friends Jaime and her father ran the marathon in 2005 I was a spectator that jumped from bar to bar and viewing point to viewing point cheering people on.  But the year Jaime and her dad ran their first marathon was the year that my seriousness  and excitement about the true meaning of the marathon changed.  My two favorite years of the marathon were the years I loaded up a mini van with Jaimes husband, sister, mom, aunts to race to viewing spots every three-five miles and cheer them on.  I admired the strength and determination of all the runners, but being part of the Petsch/Lundgren race team was pretty cool.

 I remember seeing runners after the races, admiring their metals, not admiring their limping around (because the poor people were in pain, hence my desire to not run a marathon), and seeing the smiles on their faces of accomplishment.  That is what the Boston Marathon is about.  It is another event where the spirit of sport is at its finest.  Where spectators are passionate and cheering and fleeting from the stress of life and whatever worry they may feel during these happy moments.  It is an innocent, pure, and joyful occasion. 

Yesterday was a reminder of the dangers we face as a nation by those that are filled with hatred, but also of the spirit of humanity and those coming together through thoughts, prayers, rescue, kindness, unselfishness.  It is in some of the darkest hours that some of the most beautiful moments of camaraderie and support of people shines through.  Last night when President Obama addressed the Nation he said

"Today is a holiday in Massachusetts — Patriots’ Day.  It’s a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the  earliest days of our nation.  And it’s a day that draws the world to Boston’s streets in a spirit of friendly competition.  Boston is a tough and resilient town.  So are its people.  I’m supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. "

While you will rarely find me quoting our President, the line where he says "Boston is a tough and resilient town and so are it's people" that sure as heck is right.  About 6 years ago when I was working for Covidien one of my good friends I worked with always  use to say that people from Boston were "Cut from the same cloth". It is so the truth.  Bostonians are passionate about who they are and where they are from and maybe a little cocky at times in a good way.  People are proud to be from Boston, and no matter where you go across the country if you are a Bostonian and see someone with a Sox hat on your are instantaneously ready to have a drink with them.   I will tell you right now as our Nation stands together and rallies around a city that  I love and cherish it makes me even prouder to be from Boston, but to be an American. It also like many others wants me to send the message that I am sure many people  I know up North said and felt last night.  Don't f*#& with Boston, or America for that matter because we are one strong nation and city and we will persevere together.