My opinion

I've been the recipient of many people's opinions regarding the Boson Bombers. I don't know if it's because I'm a runner or not, but I've kind of kept my opinion to myself.

Here's the thing. I've heard that the explosion in West, Texas was a much bigger deal. I've heard that the Sandy Hook shooting was a much bigger deal.

And I want to know how we measure which tragedy is a bigger deal?

In these three cases it's comparing apples and oranges. Both fruits, both round, but that's the only sameness.

All of these are tragedies, lives were losts. But that's the only sameness I can find.

One was an accidental explosion. One was a mentally unbalanced young man. One was an act of terror.

And you can't really say that had the Boston Bomber's used guns we would have stiffer gun control. Because you don't know that.

Most shootings occur with illegally procured guns. Stolen guns.

Every mentally sick person is not a murderer. Every muslim is not a terrorist. Every factory is not going to explode.

And Marathon runners are not tougher than elementary school parents who are overwhelmed with the day to day of getting kids up and getting them to school and fixing dinner and doing laundry and driving carpool and overseeing diaramas of Charlotte Web (I'll never forget that one) or scale models of a 5th grade bedroom (that one either) or a high school working model of an atom (yep, top three rounded out).

Life.Just.Is.Hard.

Crazy people. Religious extremists. Accidents.

They all happen.

I am related to a mentally unbalanced person. I can't live in fear.

I work with several muslims. Who can carry backpacks into the building, the room, I work in. I can't live in fear.

There are highly combustible and flammable materials where I work. There have been two accidental deaths on the shop floor in the last year. I can't live in fear.

I also can't determine what is the greater tragedy. None of them took the life of someone I loved.

Then I read an article about the building in Bangladesh that collapsed and the lives that were lost. And the rescue efforts. And how they are blaming it on the U.S. because we buy the clothes they were making.

And I know I will never understand.

But I do know that there is hope for this world. And I'm glad to say that I know that hope.