"THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT"

So, the marathon was today. And, it was called after only a few hours. I felt for the runners, I really did (a) having personally marathon'd I felt their pain and (b) dude, it was hot and unforch just to sit and watch. I sat and watched the final group, determined to finish even after the race was called, then even after the cops came through will bullhorns and insisted the runners then had to move to the sidewalks and proceed at their own risk. Uh, and I am hearing rumors that the stations were running out of water and Gatorade. Not good.

So, the scoop at this hour is that about 300 people were taken to the hospital and one guy, Chad Scheiber (only 35!) a police office in Midland, Michigan died. Died. I googled him because I don't want to say "some dude"; I wanted to know who he was-- a husband, father, police officer, and I just feel so bad for him. Did he wake up and think he'd die today? No, of course he didn't. Was he running for a charity? That I don't know. I do know it wasn't his first marathon by a longshot. I do know it probably wasn't a easy death, and that sounds horrible. For him today, for his family tonight. Can you imagine his wife tonight? Probably around his same age, so a young woman, my age most likely, thinking over and over about her guy out on the racecourse and what his last moments must have been like. Ugh, I can't stop thinking about it and I never even met the guy. The guy was doing something healthy, something he'd done before and loved to do, maybe even something charitable and blammo.

It bothers me that sometimes good karma doesn't seem like it's enough. But, then none of us really know how the world works. We can only guess it spins on karma wheels. But, the truth is that bad things happen to good people, bad people and everyone in between and, yes, death is just as natural-- and in its own way beautiful-- as birth and life, man it's a shame when people are doing something good-- not wasting their lives, not spewing negative crap out into the world, not taking their lives for granted, things like that-- and they die. It's a shame is what it is. A shame. I wish the world worked that way. I do believe that being a good person and living fully counts for something. I just wish it counted for more sometimes, I guess.

You know what we should do? (We meaning runners of Chicago) We should have a benefit run to raise money for his family. I'd help organize and I'd run it, too.

And, speaking of causes I'm gung-ho for, it's still breast cancer awareness month. Let's click through to The Breast Cancer Site and donate mammography to women in need. Shop to cure with these notecards offered directly from Komen. And, I am halfway to my new goal, and the race is two weeks from today. This week's goal: $650. I know there are a lot of causes to get behind, another worthy one I mentioned just a paragraph ago, but please consider donating to this cause in addition to whatever other causes you support. Thanks!