In the next few days, as we as a community, city and nation recover (and we will recover. We always do.) from this tragedy, many people will say many words about the many angles to the events of today. Many people will use big words, bold words, words meant to push the buttons of people. Sadly in our world, the unity of grief and resolve we feel as a community, will be eroded by the words of men and women looking to score points. The altruistic will be replaced by the cynical, and the faucet of hyperbole will drench us in a deluge of words.
I love words. In my heart of hearts I am a writer. To sit and create a sentence, to be read and understood by another human being, is my modest attempt of mattering. I don't write for money, or ego, or attention (well, much attention.) I write because to form a word, to communicate, to me validates our existence in the chaos of creation.
Yet as powerful as words are, and can be, they are at the end of a day like today meaningless. No words can justify the actions of the perpetrators. No words can bring back the departed to their loved ones, or heal the horrific injuries. No words will be able to completely heal the mental damage and trauma that we all will feel by being witnesses to today.
Despite the impotence of words on a day like today, we all must move on. We need to express the powerful emotions that are churning within side all of us. It is what makes us human. It is what makes us a community. It is what gives us our power, the ability to communicate, to beat back the ignorance that allows this type of cowardice to occur. The most powerful word we have after a day like today is hope. To have a certain faith in ourselves and our humanity that we can overcome the ignorance and hatred that fuels this type of cowardly attack. To quote The Wire "You do not get to win, shitbirds."
In watching the horrors of today, I saw this hope. The men and women who ran towards the explosions. The people who have given or will give blood in the next few days. The men and women of law enforcement who will work tirelessly on every shred of evidence, searching for those responsible. I see it in the stories of all the acts of kindness and compassion, and the millions of unforeseen acts of comfort as we all struggle with this day. In the next few days you will hear a lot of words. Of all the words you hear, I just pray you remember the only word that matters; Hope.
(via PostSecret)
Miscellany:
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