For a long time, I’ve wrestled with writing this. I’ve sought wisdom from mentors of all ages, races, religions and cultures, and I’ve reflected through prayer and meditation. My conclusion is this: We are fractured. As a people, as a society, we are broken.
A fracture, by definition, is a break in a bone caused by a force stronger than the bone can bear. This is what has happened to us. We’ve been hit by forces too great to carry alone, and fractures have formed in our communities, our families and ourselves.
I feel it every day as I walk the streets of downtown Worcester with my sons. As a father who grew up without one, I take them to experience moments that I missed — buying overpriced hot dogs and watching games together. But as we walk, I can’t help noticing the faces around me, burdened by the weight of life. Faces my sons don’t notice because they’re glued to their phones, distracted by the same technology that’s trapping many of us in our own isolated worlds.
Here’s the thing about fractures: Healing takes time. It starts with inflammation, then new bone tissue forms, and eventually, the bone remodels. In the early stages, the fracture site can become stronger than the bone around it, but in time, the bone returns to its original strength, not stronger, just the same.