Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. November 9, 1989 seems like it was just yesterday, but it's been 20 years. I was in 9th grade at Bonneville Jr. High and I remember one of my teachers turning on a TV so we could see some of the images. I was a teenager and didn't really recognize the significance of that day, but it changed the world.Think about it. Growing up all we heard about was the Soviet Union and the Cold War. I was somewhat into politics even as a young teen and I remember the Reagan speech, "Mr. Gorbachev - Tear Down This Wall." It's incredible to imagine that only a couple years after those words, it happened. The Soviet empire fell, Germany was reunited, new nations developed, democracy spread. It all happened within a few weeks and I saw it on television.
Watching the images of people dancing on the wall and seeing the joy they shared in breaking off a piece of history has been amazing. It may have been 20 years ago, but I truly remember that event as clearly as if I'd been there. The world is different now, and I watched it happen.
1 comment:
Hi Jared,
Cool comment on the wall! Today I work in the German Parliament and my apartment is just 20 meters from where the wall once stood. Everyday on my way to work I walk by the Berlin Wall Monument. It is just amazing, what a huge jump history made on this November night 1989.
Best wishes from Berlin!
Karen
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