The public portion of yesterday’s tribute to the victims of last year’s Boston Marathon bombings didn’t start until mid-afternoon. But by late morning, many people had taken it upon themselves to create their own commemorations. Some ran the entire marathon course on their own — including one man who was dressed in full colonial garb and carried a pair of American flags.
Then there were Brian and Julie Stamm of Mission Hill — who vowed to run the 2014 marathon after last year’s attacks but weren’t able to get bib numbers. Yesterday, the young couple ran from Hopkinton anyway — and in the process, raised about $650 for the One Fund.
But it wasn’t just the runners. As the private memorial took place in the Hynes Convention Center, you could hear it on loudspeakers placed near the finish line at Copley Square. As the ceremony progressed, people filed out onto Boylston Street to listen and reflect. Their silent thoughtfulness contrasted with the mundane commercial activity that continued around them. In a way, it was a perfect microcosm of the marathon-bombing aftermath: Tragedy occurs, life goes on, and remembrance doesn’t just happen. You need to work at it.
It’s become a commonplace over the last year to say that last year’s attacks fundamentally changed Boston. On that, I’d say the jury is still out. Yesterday, I spoke with Melissa Bowers of Middleboro, who’d nearly finished last year’s race when the bombs hit. On Monday, she plans finish her first Boston marathon. Bowers’ eight-year-old is especially anxious about the upcoming race; she’s calmed him by explaining that everything in life involves an element of risk.
It’s natural to be more fearful after what happened last April. But it’s also the sort of feeling that may lift over time — especially for people who weren’t close to carnage. And Boston’s unique demographics may help move that process along.
Watching a tour of prospective Berklee College of Music students work its way down Boylston, I was reminded that every fall, Boston welcomes tens of thousands of new residents to its schools. Many of them will end up staying — and for them, the marathon bombings will be something they’ve heard about, not something they’ve lived through. If that lack of trauma helps the city heal, it’s probably something long-term Bostonians should embrace. Remembering is important. So is forgetting. Striking the right balance is difficult — and that’s the challenge Boston faces in the years ahead.
