"Come Together" in Connecticut.

10/14/2013

Connecticut has taken its lumps over the past few years. We've lost jobs, money and a good dose of pride. But on Saturday, something felt different. For the first time in a good long while, I felt like there is no state I would rather be. I stood waiting for the runners of the Hartford Marathon to come barreling down Asylum Avenue. As a mass of runners turned the bend, I could feel their energy and vibrance converging upon me. It was like our State capitol had become an epicenter for positive energy. I snapped away with my camera, seeing determination, willfulness and good nature among the masses. I felt comforted knowing many faces in the crowd and felt encouraged to reach out to the new ones. Running builds a community. I believe this with all my heart. It has a way of fixing what's fractured by enlisting in the combined efforts of many. The entire field wins when they run united together with similar purpose of becoming better individuals. Somehow running has a way of reaching into deeper depths of the human spirit.

My husband stood high on the hill of Wickham Park, watching our daughter compete in a cross country race with several thousand high school students. I wished I could be in both places with my camera. The fall colors were spectacular and he felt inspired looking down upon the city knowing thousands more were running through its streets for the marathon. Under the fall foliage, I saw a perfect scenario of effort and reward unfolding all around. Something as simple as honest efforts and just rewards are so rarely revered in the times we live in; but on this beautiful day in Hartford, it was celebrated. We witnessed both of our children stepping out and finding themselves in a better place. Hartford was a proud place to stand thanks to Beth Sluger and her team at Hartford Marathon Foundation. They masterfully created an exact recipe for a successful and a happier Connecticut. Their hard work paid off and this citizen thanks you. The race slogan appropriately suggests for us to, "Come Together, Right Now". It harkens us to find a better place here in Connecticut, if not for one day, but hopefully for many to come.