Sometimes it is surprising how interconnected we are here in southern New England or New England as a whole. We are so populous, we generally mind our own business and yet we operate somewhat as a rather large small town.
You either are personally affected by an event or know someone who is/was.
One of the passengers on one of the planes that hit the WTC was a resident of the Boston suburb I live in. A friend of mine in CT, was personally affected by the Newtown shootings.
Monday's bombing of the Boston Marathon is no different - and by the time this is all resolved I don't think there will be anyone here in Eastern Mass who will not have a personal story to tell.
On Monday just after the bombings my husband and I spoke to our middle son, who goes to school and lives in Boston to make sure he was safe. He was at his job in another part of Boston.
I called and texted extended family members to let them know he/we are okay. And for those on the other side of the world, email and facebook posts to let them know too.
A young woman who was my oldest son's buddy growing up, and who lived in our neighborhood was directly opposite the blast. I worry for her and possible PTSD.
The Muslim community in the whole of southern New England has had a pall - remembering all too vividly what it was like for them after 9-11. Releasing the pictures yesterday didn't help that feeling.
This morning I had an appointment in Boston, something that has been postponed twice now because of my surgeries. It was early, I got up , did some chores, showered, and got in my car to go.
It wasn't until I hit the interstate that I turned on the radio, a few minutes later I heard Gov. Patrick say that the whole of Boston was shut down. I turned around and went home. Postponement number three - will I ever get this done?
On the way I called and woke up my middle son. "Stay in, you're on lock down." I said, and we spoke for a bit.
This is unnerving and even though I am not in a lock down community, it is scary. I ask my husband to stay home and telecommute today. He does.
Later when I was home and watching tv (jumped off the major networks and just watching WBZ now - it seems to be more accurate and less prone to yellow journalism targeting Muslims and Islam - not helping) I checked into Facebook, my middle son who is only 20yrsold posted that the picture on his tv screen looks more like an amber alert for a missing child than a bomber. He's so young.
And I realized just how little distance in age there is between my son and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
WBZ has been putting on interviews with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's friends and uncles. I listened and not one has a bad thing to say about him. They liked him, he was friendly, quiet and nice. One didn't know he had an older brother. All are surprised.
And btw may I just say how impressed I am at how well spoken these 18, 19, and 20 year olds are. I was blown away at the use of the word "cordial" - how many young men and women would use that word in conversation.
Back on facebook I notice the anguished posts of a friend of mine. He is a teacher and one who puts his all into his students. When he was my teacher, our class gave him gifts at the end of our two semesters, we liked him so much. Now he is my friend.
Then news came that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev goes to UMASS Dartmouth. I asked my friend if he is one of his students.
The answer came back, "yes."
His anguish and posts now more understandable.
He cannot understand, Dzhokhar is a good student, nice guy, would never do this etc.
He cannot fathom. "Why" he asks.
I have no answers, I wish I did.
Having 3 sons I can only suggest that maybe hero worship of an older brother played a role (an older brother who seems to have had the horror of war affect him so badly that he could not assimilate and find a place but looked instead to radicalization to find one).
My friend accepts this as a possibility, "I think so" he responds.
But he is empty, and broken.
The tentacles of Monday's bombing are long and getting longer.
It is claiming more victims.
FWIW Dzhokhar Tsarnaev please end this, turn yourself in. You are in control of how many victims there will be in the end. There have been too many already.
9:14 AM PT: okay .. .well WBZ is now jumping the shark