My week with Boston.
It has been a strange week. Last Monday as I sat down to do some computer work, news broke about the Boston Marathon bombing. Immediately I read so many conflicting reports in the early moments that I turned it off. We all react differently to tragedy this was tragedy mixed with misinformation. I simply wanted to know what happened for sure, and was willing to wait to get good information.
Boston and I have a checkered past. To any people who have known me throughout the years I've been known to root for every team playing Boston, mocked their terrible fans, purchased anti-Boston shirts, and called it "The butthole of America." And that's really the tip of the iceberg.
Over the past year I've tried to change my tune. Erasing the hate was a top priority of mine. I went even so far as to rip an "I Hate Boston" shirt on my show Talking Trash while it was still on. While I still dislike a lot of Boston fans, detest the Bawston accent, think "Sweet Caroline" is an awful song, and Hate the Bruins (Go Habs Go!) there is one thing I dislike more. Terrorism.
As I got the news of what happened I was preparing for a journey to Hyannis, MA for the NEISMA convention. It was a rare trip to get out of town for work. The NEISMA convention is an Ice Rink thing. The next day with many questions still unanswered and no suspects even named. Willie Adam and I headed south for Hyannis. we drove right through Boston. All of the billboards and signs after only a day astounded me. There was no doubt that Boston was strong. I had always known that. Had they not been strong before they wouldn't have posed a worth adversary for my hatred.
As more came out the next day Willie and I again drove, or should I say crawled, through Boston. Again I saw the signs. even trying to take a picture of one. As I came back to Vermont I felt myself feeling angry, confused... we all were and still are. As New Englanders you don't just know one person in Boston. You know at least 50. On Friday as the city was shut down. I had a hard time conveying how I felt. Usually in tough situations I use humor, but in times like these all comedians aren't even touching "too soon" jokes.
As I saw others around me, on TV, and the Internet pouring out support, well wishes, and #BostonStrong hashtags, I was feeling weird. Finally I came to some realizations.
As I rode to Marlborough, MA on Sunday I thumbed through my issue of Sports Illustrated. The cover has a gripping shot. Then as I flipped inside many more images and stories, but one grabbed my attention. A view from near the finish line shows smoke and a large scene, but in the lower corner I noticed that the cover shot was being taken. See if you can see it.
This photo sparked in me a need to blog. I need to write about a time in my life that I was never conflicted about my support of Boston. A time when someone attacked the "butthole." America's butthole. Our butthole. I thought back to what David Ortiz said in the first game back at Fenway (See picture). This is our fucking city. Not Massachusetts', not New England's, not even America's. It's a city that represents the Earth. Good, Bad, and the ugly. Where FREEDOM should be respected, and sanity should rule the day. These type of acts show the good in people, more than they show the bad. Weak-minded people made us all #BostonStrong
So last night before I went to bed I did something that I should have done earlier in the week. I changed my Facebook profile picture to the B-Strong logo. A spot that has seen that same logo with a red circle around it and a line through it in the past. Tonight I'll head from Marlborough in to Boston. In to see David Ortiz and these "B" clad gents host the Oakland A's. I hope to purchase a shirt in support of these Red Sox or the city of Boston. Tonight when Sweet Caroline plays I'll sing along. I'll root for the home team (If they don't win it's a shame). I'll never forget a week I felt connected to a city I used to hate. And tonight I look forward to burying the hatchet with a city. A city that represents Earth. On Earth Day.
I expect tonight that I'll have more stories, sights and sounds to share. It has been too long since I last blogged. I needed this. Hopefully if you read this you got something out of it too.
Disclaimer: I'm not claiming to be a Boston fan when it comes to their sports teams. I still hope the Bruins lose every game. But that's based more on their rivalry with my Canadiens. It's nice to have separation between sports and the world and this issue solidified what I've been working on for the past year or so. No matter you're thoughts on teams, accents, or area, NoOne should mess with our freedom, livelihood, or resolve! B-Strong!
