Humboldt Broncos and Families
I suppose that most people have heard about the horrendous events of last Friday evening. A semi tractor-trailer and a bus carrying an entire junior league hockey team and some of the staff collided, resulting in 16 deaths so far, and 13 injured. Except for the staff (all 4 of them), no one was over 21.
I’ve avoided saying a whole lot on this because I’m not sure what to say. I’m a fan of the game, listening to the broadcasts on the radio whenever I can, but I’ve never met any of the team members, either from the Broncos or elsewhere in the league. I don’t know as the sympathy of a total stranger is going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. It’s not like I can do anything constructive for them. I can’t run across the street with a casserole or something so that the family doesn’t have to go to the hassle of cooking for one night. I can’t give the families, either biological or billeted, a hug and a box of Kleenex and listen to them mourn their lost ones. If I had the option, about all I can do is throw money at them. While it’s constructive, I suppose, it’s also not in my budget at the moment.
I can’t think of anything constructive to say that will make the families’ pain go away. I wish I could. I can mourn the loss of lives, especially those of the young adults. I can wish I could bring back the father that was the coach, so his family wouldn’t suffer. I wish… If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, as my mother used to say.
Actually, about the only thing I can do is apologize to the families of the dead and the injured. I’m not sure the enormity of what has happened has sunk in with me yet, so I’m not feeling the pain that I probably should be feeling. I can admit that I’m feeling a bit guilty because I don’t as troubled by the incident as perhaps I should be. I could apologize for being a Nipiwin Hawks fan, but that would be silly. It’s not like I arranged the accident just so my team can advance in the playoffs. I couldn’t do something like that and live with myself anyway.
I know what I’ll do. The next game is on Saturday, I think. I’ll let you know how I feel after I don’t hear Tyler’s voice broadcasting the game.