Boston, I Love You

At first, I had no desire to write about the Boston bombing here. I felt like there wasn't anything I could say that other people haven't already said, and far better at that.  But then I realized that Boston was the star of this blog for a long time and at the very least, I should honor that.

When I started this blog in 2010 I was living in the South End, more specifically, I was crashing on my cousin's couch. After two intense years I had earned my Master's but had no clue about what to do next. So I wrote about my life with Boston as my inspiration. The blog itself forced me to go out and explore, even if I was tired or cranky or alone.

When I first came to Boston I lived in Dorchester, then Cambridge, the South End, and finally Brookline. I left two years ago but Boston will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the city where I was truly on my own for the first time.  It's the city where I became an "adult." And, given the thousands of college students that spend their formative years there, I'm sure I'm not alone. Because of this and so many other reasons, it's a very loved city, yet it can still feel like a town. Big enough to never run out of things to do, but small enough to never feel lost. It was common to bump into people you knew just walking down the street. It has a charm all its own and a fierce pride, which some may call obnoxious, but is it really so bad to love where you're from? The fact that the Red Sox still had the most loyal fans in sports after an 86 year losing streak tells me all I need to know about this town.

Apparently, the older of the two suspects wrote that he didn't understand Americans. He couldn't have been more right. He understood nothing and that was his downfall. But I understand. I understand that this city will get through this because people care about their city and each other. I'll be the first to admit that historically, I haven't been the most "patriotic" person, at least in the sense of having a blind belief that everything the U.S. does is right. I question things, just as we all should. But I certainly believe in the value of a democratic community made up of people from all walks of life. Is it always perfect? No. Do we argue? Of course. And we should. But there is nothing that words can't settle. Violence is the language of cowards.

Stay safe, Boston. We're all rooting for you.