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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

For What It's Worth....


This afternoon there will be an ocean of digital ink spilled for the tragedy that unfolded in Boston yesterday, and my contribution is but a humble drop. I may not have the followers or pedigree of other members of the mainstream media, but what I do have is a voice and a forum on which to be heard. By now I'm sure you all know the details, so I needn't go into them in length. Frankly, I don't want to, they're sick. There is no need to speculate, or to blame...only to remember and to honor. However reader, if you will indulge me  for a moment, I would be grateful.

What I would like to share with you is the impact it had on this man, living on the other side of the world. Living in a city where there was a suicide bomber last year, rebel warfare in the east of the country, and a brutal civil war destroying another country just beyond my borders. My eyes are not blind to the violence and cruelty of this world. This man, a Canucks fan, who has spent the last 2 years detesting the Bruins and their large fan base, and who now sits here humbled and ashamed for having done so. It's times and moments like this that transcend sport, that make you realize it really is just a game. Look no further than the outpouring of emotion from across the country, and even across the world, for the people that were affected. I too felt this same emotion when I heard what had happened, and a new emotion I had never felt for the people of Boston before: empathy.

US President Barack Obama put it perfectly yesterday when he said, "Today we are not Democrats or Republicans, today we are all Americans". From a hockey perspective, today we are not Habs or Canucks or Bruins fans, today we are all people who share a common love of hockey. Today and evermore I finally understand this. So I give my love and my best wishes to the people of Boston as well as my hope that they can overcome the fear they are currently living in and have the strength to move past this.

Later today I will return to hockey, and hopefully a sense of normalcy. Thank you for giving me your time and I leave you with a small token of my gratitude...for what it's worth.




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