I couldn’t watch the television stories reporting the events of the Boston Marathon. I just couldn’t. I experienced this with the Newtown shooting, too. I’m not certain if I should be concerned if this is a pattern for me or not.
Maybe I’ve reached my limit of heart-wrenching stories today after caring for my team, caring for what I think to be some of the most vulnerable yet tenacious patients ever. Maybe it’s too close to “what if” for my now athletic family. Maybe it makes me question humanity. Maybe I spend too much time thinking and empathizing for the healthcare professionals who bore witness to trauma after trauma because it is their “job.” Maybe I struggle with unanswered questions. Maybe I think of a day that people worked hard to get to strenuously enjoy yet someone pathetically cheated with destructive strides.
Even though I couldn’t watch the images, I followed the breaking story on Twitter. My heart aches for Boston and the thousands of people who looked forward to this day only now to want to forget it.