When tragedies hit like the one that did today in Boston, I usually sit back and sadly look on at the developments. In somewhat of a shocker since I am such a nerd about it usually, I do stay away from commentary and reaction on social media. Everyone with a heart is sad over something like this…I don’t find the need to write a Facebook status, send out a Tweet, or share a picture to express to my audience that I am thinking about Boston. Come on, all of us are grieving, most of us are praying.

So in the hypocritical way that I probably too often take on, I do want to share what came to my mind today and what always comes to my mind when something as senseless and sad as this strikes our nation. I apologize in advance for taking a terrible event such as this and editorializing about it on a social platform such as this.

What I find most sad and most depressing about these acts is that they will never end. Never. No matter the precautions, no matter the security, no matter the surveillance, these sickening acts of mass violence will always happen. Guns, bombs, planes, fire, and chemicals are just several of the infinite ways that freaks will utilize to end human life. In the same way that people are creative with art, creative with poetry, and creative with cooking, some sick individuals are creative with killing. There is no stopping it.

Nothing will stop someone who is possessed to kill. While you can only do so much to prevent against tragedy and defend against whatever someone did the last time to take away innocent lives, it is almost impossible to foil the next and new deadly scheme that some sicko thinks up in his basement or what a twisted group of hate-filled people devises overseas. It will never be a matter of “if” but always a matter of “when”.

This grim reality is that we will soon have another Boston. We will soon have another Newtown. We will soon have another Colorado. The terrible news will hit Twitter and we will all be notified. The media will converge on the scene and give us minute-by-minute coverage. Talking heads will show up on our television screens and try to make sense of it all. Hotlines will pop up that will ask for tips and solicit for donations. We will again ask aloud why the world is so full of hate and why things like this happen.

We can’t stop it. We just can’t. There is no end. However, we can do something. We can show love and kindness where there is darkness and hate. And I genuinely mean show it. No, not say it or type it through social media. No, not publicly decry such acts to our friends and social circles. No, not blast it through a stupid blog such as this one. I mean show it. Each day and each moment we live we need to reach out to everyone we come across and treat them with love and compassion. What does this really mean? It means listening to someone who needs an ear to talk to. It means giving an encouraging word to someone who is down. It means helping out at a soup kitchen. It means donating our resources to others. It means giving hugs.

We will never stop the violence and killing in this world but we can do our part to make it a better place to live in. By doing this we will make everything just a little easier to bare when tragedy hits and who knows, maybe the love and hope we emulate might touch someone who is considering something destructive. Of course we will never get through to the truly evil who lurk in the dark corners of society but we do have the power to prevent some damage. Dark days like today remind us that we need to love and we need to reach out. We can all make a difference. Don’t Blink.