Just Keep Running

by Bethany Maines

I was going to use this blog to announce the publication of my short story.  Two weeks ago readers voted on the name - Spells of Murder, Murder & Magic, or The Law of Magic and selected Spells of Murder as the winner.  And in the interest of self here is the announcement: Spells of Murder on sale now!  It’s only a buck and I sincerely hope you enjoy it. 

But here’s what I really want to say.

I run.  I’m not a very fast runner.  I will never win races, but that’s not really the point. The point is that I run.  But last week in Boston, someone tried to stop runners, and people who support runners, from running. I know in the coming weeks the motives and every move of the Tsarnaev brothers will be examined and discussed, but to me the details don’t really matter. The bottom line is that someone was filled with enough hate to try and kill lots of people. And I think anyone who has ever done race understands that the injured in Boston could have been me, could have been my family.  Race days are chaotic, crowd filled, and stoked by the little dramas of each, individual runner who battles the clock and the road, striving to find out if they put in the miles. Every race day big or small has that same feeling. Every race day is The Boston to someone. Even though each runner is alone, or perhaps because we’re alone, runners love the communal spirit of race day. And to have someone attack that… it stabs at the heart. I wish I had some sort of words of wisdom that would bring healing and help to the people that were injured.  I don’t.  All I can say is that I run.  And I won’t be stopping. 

Bethany Maines is the author of Bulletproof Mascara, Compact With the Devil and Supporting the Girls, as well as a new series of paranormal short stories: Tales from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her at www.bethanymaines.com.