Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCLXXV

As a runner and especially  as a marathoner, I was angered and saddened by the events in the Boston Marathon a few weeks ago. Like most Americans, I stayed glued to the television as they closed in on, and ultimately captured, the second suspect who perpetrated that horrific act of terror.  In fact, if you watched much TV at all during those few days, there wasn't much else to choose from in the way of programming, because that's practically all the news media talked about. I don't blame them for that...they were giving the public what they wanted. The nation watched these events unfold, and as a result, thousands of our citizens are afraid, or at least extremely nervous about attending or participating in events such as marathons or other big sporting events. Chalk one up for the terrorists. That's what they wanted. Like I was saying, the news media were just doing their job. If they hadn't reported those events as they did, there would have been a huge outcry from all of us. However, there are some related events that were NOT reported, and that's what I want to talk about today. Please understand that I don't mean to take away anything from the memory of those innocent victims who lost their lives that morning in Boston...I just want to tell you something that you didn't hear on the news that might make you feel a little less afraid. Here it is:  In this year's  Boston Marathon, tens of thousands of runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators went home safely to their families, just like they had planned. We, as humans, glamorize and focus on the spectacular, and we have a tendency to ignore the normal or most likely occurrences. You, me, and everyone else are gonna die someday, and none of us know when that day will come. Yes, it may be due to an act of terror, but the likelihood of that is minuscule. Just like you, I'm doing all I can to preserve my life for as long as I can, but I refuse to live my life in fear, especially of events that are so extremely unlikely. As a matter of fact, I'm sending you this message from Fargo, North Dakota, where I, along with my wife and some friends, will be participating in the Fargo Marathon tomorrow morning. It may be the last thing I do, but the likelihood of me dying was greater on my way to the airport yesterday morning than it has been at any time since. Approximately 40,000 people die on our highways every year, yet we all are driving just as much or more than ever. More than 600,000 people die from heart disease every year, yet we continue on with our lives as usual, even eating the types of food that increase our risks. Then we freak out when the spectacular happens to a few individuals, and the reason is, just like I said last week, the things we magnify are what appear larger in our lives. Tomorrow morning I will rise early and begin my run without fear, yet I will be running in honor of those who died or were injured in Boston. Sunday afternoon, I will board a plane and head for home without fear. Monday morning I will rise early and begin the long drive to a business meeting in Atlanta. That's when I'll be in the most danger, yet hundreds of thousands of people drive to and from Atlanta every year in complete safety, so I will not fear. Preston Sent from my iPad=