When I heard about what happened in Orlando, I went for a run.
While I ran, I thought about how so many people’s lives were taken and their loved ones’ lives destroyed, because of the incomprehensible hatred in the heart of one human being. How one person’s views on total strangers’ sexual orientation became more important in his sick mind than human lives. The anti-gay and later, when the killer’s extremist ties were reported, the anti-Muslim sentiments floating around the internet, horrified me.
One thing I’ve always loved about running is the inclusiveness of our community. Runners encourage and support each other, regardless of our gender, race, sexuality, age, religion, size, pace, or distance. There are always exceptions, of course, but the starting lines I’ve experienced have been full of people identifying first and foremost as runners. Imagine if that experience extended so that everyone in the world identified first and foremost as humans. Humans who deserve dignity, respect, love, freedom and most of all, their lives.
Running didn’t make me feel less horrified about what happened to those innocent men and women in that nightclub. But it at least made me think about the fact that while there are evil, brainwashed, terrible people in this country and this world, there are also so many more good, kind, loving people.
Let’s be runners. Let’s be good, kind, loving people. Let’s remember that no matter what you think or believe about how someone is living their life, it is their life to live, in this free country.
Very well said.
It sounds so simplistic but it just seems we all have so much more in common than different.
Carla recently posted…How do you make introductions?
What a beautiful reflection. I still don’t have words for what has happened, and to be honest, I’ve lost the tiniest bit of hope over the past few days. This helped to restore that, so thank you for posting this, heart.<3
Tiffany @ The Chi-Athlete recently posted…Procrastination Nation
I saw someone else somewhere make the comment that if everyone just ran and did yoga then they wouldn’t have all the hatred in them…. it sounds like simplifying the issue, but in a way, it is so true…. Runners are all-inclusive… That is something I didn’t know before I started running. I thought I had to look a certain way and hold a certain pace/distance to be one, but that is so not true. I’m happy I discovered otherwise, because now running is of course my greatest source of self-therapy to deal with these crises.
Paria@momontherunsanity.com recently posted…Buckle Up
Well I guess I don’t have to spend the weekend firnigug this one out!
You are so right Carly!!!
Ellen @ Tale of Two Runs recently posted…Vacation in Greece (part #1)
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