Everything was Hunky Dory until...

So, I finally decided on a name for my blog. I was very excited that after years of procrastination I had FINALLY started my very own blog. I really got into trying to find the perfect name for it. I thought and thought, I asked friends and co-workers, I pondered suggestions until I settled on a most excellent name. Then a couple of guys decided to set off bombs in Boston and naming my blog was no longer a big deal.

Today's world is very different from the one I grew up in.  Oh, we feared the "bomb" alright. That bomb would be dropped by the "enemy" and we took precautions. We were prepared for that bomb. If and when it happened it would be dropped from the sky from a plane, probably, and as elementary school children we had regular bomb drills. Much like fire drills today only we hid beneath our school desks and covered our heads with our arms.  Seems silly now, doesn't it? But, the point is we were prepared! We knew where to line up when the "all clear" signal was given, we knew the names of our classmates who should be in line on either side of us and we knew to report to an adult if any of our "flank pals" were missing. The "bomb" was a real threat and like I said, we knew who our "enemy" was. Today...not so much.

It isn't so black and white anymore. The enemy in my child's mind was a bad guy in a military uniform who wanted to destroy America, "the strongest nation in the world". It wasn't a couple of brothers wearing ball caps, carrying backpacks and strolling through the crowd. How do we defend ourselves against an enemy we can't even recognize? An enemy we don't even know is our enemy, hiding in plain sight. Your neighbor, your classmate, the guy with the backpack. How do you know?


My grandson is the same age as the little boy who was killed by the bomb. I can only imagine the depth of  his grandmother's grief. We shouldn't have to worry that the lives of our loved ones will be sacrificed in the name of some extremist's god when they go out to enjoy the day. Our streets should not be considered battlefields.

In light of the tragedy in Boston I will save the happy news of my blog's new name for another post. In the meantime my thoughts and prayers are with Boston.