My reaction.

This post has nothing to do with healthy living, recipes, or working out.

It has everything to do with my emotional turmoil at the moment.

I am saddened today.  I am sickened.  I am hurt.

Today, every Penn Stater awaited the release of the Freeh Report.  I woke and the first thing I did was turn on the TV and wait.

We knew it would not be a good outcome, we knew that the findings would damn someone, however many of us never thought it would damn the leader we all mourned the loss of in January.

I am defined by my love and devotion to Penn State. 

Wait… please re-read that last statement.

I am defined by my love and devotion to Penn State.

Yes.  I did not say “Penn State FOOTBALL”, just Penn State.

Many outsiders will look at our community and scoff at what appears to be a bunch of football crazed fans who drank too much of the kool-aid.  I admit, I can see where you are coming from.

But, I’d like you look into your own life and think of a time, place, or person that has shaped you, helped you grow from a child to an adult, taught you values, put you through good and bad, and still you reminiscence of this person, place, or time.

Now, stomp on that thought.  Smudge it.  Roll it up and throw it into the fire.  Allow everyone to say nasty things about it.  Watch the world judge and hate.

How do you feel?

That’s how the 165,000 alumni, 95,000 students, and the 44,000 employees of Penn State feel today.  Actually, to be correct, it is how they have felt since November.

While we can judge what should have been done and call for outrageous acts to done in the midst of anger, does it change what happened?

No.

We need to reflect.  Think.  Learn.  Then…act.

When you are quick to judge, remember everyone is facing their own battle.  We are all human.  We are all in this together.