From now on, we should think of the big annual Beantown race as America's Boston Marathon. After the tragedy a year ago of terrorists ruining the wonderful event, it now belongs to all of us.
Just as the significance and instant recognition of 9/11 no longer belongs to a grieving New York City, the Boston Marathon is a national day of mourning and remembering. Let's not forget
appreciating as well.
Terrorists are, in addition to everything else, patently stupid people. They are stupid because they think they can crush the American spirit with their awful acts of mass violence.
They always get us wrong.
They always underestimate our collective will and grit. It may take a little while for us to rally because our grief is so heartfelt. But we'll be bloodied, not bowed. They can't keep us down. Never.
This year, we're all winners because the race will come off as always: majestic, stylish, oh-so-New England. But this year, the biggest winners won't be the championship runners — or any of the competitors, really. Yes, we surely should admire their great athletic and human gifts. But it goes much deeper than that.
Here in 2014, America is the big winner.
Jon Friedman writes the Media Matrix blog for Indiewire.com. He is also the author of "Forget About Today: Bob Dylan's Genius for (Re)Invention, Shunning the Naysayers, and Creating a Personal Revolution." Read more reports from Jon Friedman — Click Here Now.
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