If you know me then you know that I get all giddy over history and historical events, especially times from the Cold War. If you read this, its a long one. Thus, I want to make sure you know that 25 years ago today, the Berlin Wall started coming down. While it wasnt demolished properly for another year, that was the day etched in history books, photos of normal German citizens taking every day implements and their own hands to the wall that separated East and West for nearly 3 decades. My mom and older brother lived in Germany in the mid-80s, so I grew up hearing stories about Checkpoint Charlie and all the fear that a simple wall put off, lined with mines, machine guns, and soldiers. It really puts things in perspective, especially when you try relating those to people born after the collapse of the Soviet Union. While I didnt live it, its easy for me to immerse myself in that thought, branching out into things like... how will you relate the War on Terror to people born in 2002? How temporary are the edifices we take for granted? Even in 1985-86, my mom said she never imagined that wall would be taken down. In 50 years, will demonstrators tear down the Washington Monument? Will the Statue of Liberty be dismantled by hammers and axes? Will the Space Needle or Sears Tower be blown up to protest capitalism? I dont know where exactly I was going with that, except that its interesting how something so permanent can be erased in so little time. Im done.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 21:18:02 +0000
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