On Sunday we went to Fenway Park. It was a near perfect day, with good friends and a great game. I brought along Ethel, my faithful old P90, and noodled around with crowd shots. Just black and white random photographs with a camera that fits into my purse, noisy and full of humanity.
If we had gone to the game on Monday, we’d’ve walked up the finish line of the Marathon and cheered for the runners.
That’s what you do. Marathon weekend, if you’re in town you watch for the runners with their tell-tale shirts and gear and you wish them well. It feels like a party in Boston, with the energy so high.
And Boston’s not a big city, so we all know someone who’s running, or who’s volunteering at the finish line or hanging out on the sidelines somewhere along the route to cheer a loved one on. And we get to share it with runners from all over the world. It’s pretty damn cool.
And we’ve all walked in and out of those stores on Boylston and hung out on the steps at the Copley Branch of the Boston Public Library. We’ve walked across the finish line after the race has been run but before the street gets opened up to traffic again.
And it’s all so incredibly close to home. I look at these pictures from the day before and I wonder about all the people. Are they ok? We were ok then, on that beautiful afternoon. The sun broke through and the clouds were fat, luscious cottonballs lolling on a blue sky. Clay Buchholz came thisclose to a no hitter while we ate Fenway franks and peanuts and the wave made its way around the park to the delight of the kids I was surrounded by. We were ok. And the world felt safe.
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I feel deeply saddened. My condolences.
We must keep running in the marathon of life.
We are all shell shocked. My husband works in the heart of the city, and going in today was incredibly hard for him. You’re right – we must keep running the marathon of life.
Fantastic photos which really capture Fenway Park. Gosh, Ali, I’m so in shock about the events on Monday. I never thought something so horrible could have happened here in our town! So very sad.
It’s hard to believe. We watched the pre-Marathon coverage with my daughter and she was rooting for some of the runners they profiled, totally inspired… it’s just horrible.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for you Ali, it’s hard enough when you see it on the news about somewhere else in the world but when it’s right there in your own patch.. I can see it will take a while for all to settle back to normal, and that’s even more amazing because it will. Just know we’re thinking about you right now.
As for the images you took the day before, they are really, really good, you captured such a fantastic atmosphere, oh my such a big crowd!
Hi Ali. All of those activities you have described about Marathon Monday I have partaked in myself. I loved going to the Sox games on Marathon Monday (used to go and buy bleacher seats on THE DAY OF the game!)and then from there walk the marathon route up to the finish line. Your images from Mondays game are wonderful and it’s terrible that such a beautiful fun day could turn so tragic.
Prayers……
Ali, I love this series, especially a day after the Boston Marathon bombing. Normalcy is what we all want and need. We can NOT let the evil ones change our lives. Next year 50,000 will run.
Perfect post, Ali. Sentiments and photos both. What a dreadful, sickening nightmare.
i atually saw this post and meant to comment, and then i didnt… i was never at fenway park, only outside! what a huge crowd!!
it continues to be so very weird that just like you, i very well could have been there at the finish line. i am so relieved i was not, but at the same time feel so bad for all the others that were not that lucky…