TEARING DOWN, NOT BUILDING WALLS RECALLED
Recalling the day I witnessed a wall coming down that rocked the world....
Has history ever flown into your hands? Literally flown into your hands? It did into mine on a crisp, sunny Nov. day in 1989. I’d flown into Germany the night the Berlin Wall opened and then headed north to visit Rolf and Reidun, my dear Norwegian relatives, for a week.
But the sense of history in the making tugged at me. On the way back, on the Oslo-Hamburg night train, I met Vigdis, a Norwegian film student and Rachid, a young French businessman who also felt tugged to witness this event. But in the end, only Vigdis and I took the impetuous leap and switched trains to hurtle into a whole new world.
At the former British checkpoint, we witnessed bright, shining faces of hope as people walked into the West through the open section of the Wall. I recall two dark-haired women in red coats striding confidently through the opening. We smiled at a little Trabant car packed to the hilt with family goods, fluffy white pillows hanging out the windows, as the driver sped into new life in the West..
A cry ran up and down the Wall that day as we visited - a modern game of “Telephone” - announcing that 34 holes had been punched through the hated concrete barrier as of that day! I looked through one into the old Eastern sector and took a photo of that hole (above). The edges were laced with bright colors, drawing of a light bulb with rays shooting out, and the oft-quoted American slogan from another time: “Make Love, Not War.”
As we walked along in reverent silence, we marveled at the colorful, graffiti-splashed Wall, a stark contrast to solid white on the wall's other side. A couple told Vigdis in German that someone had sneaked up to the white side one night and encircled one of the newly-liberated holes with the outline of a big eye. Eye on the West! A peek into freedom! It was a magical time. The feeling of new beginnings for a people long separated from family and friends in the blink of an eye on that long-ago August night was palpable on that spot.
I recognized tall, snowy-haired former British Foreign Minister, Douglas Hurd, and impulsively followed him and a press contingent into the old Eastern sector to herald the new. People were tingling with emotion. The transition might not all go so smoothly through the years, but on that day great jubilation reigned.
Vigdis and I each took chunks of concrete and struck the Wall, as if to strike our own mark for a new day. As we walked along we watched others—people of all ages—some crouching, some standing, doing the same all up and down the Wall.
At one point, we heard the clang of metal on stone and saw a young, blond lad chiseling and hammering away at the Wall. A cluster of young schoolgirls in plaid skirts giggled as he worked furiously to dislodge pieces. A trickle of blood ran down his thumb, probably, but he seemed oblivious as he helped tear down that Wall. Vigdis and I marveled at his persistence and smiled as the girls raised outstretched hands to receive chunks. They shrieked with glee as piece after piece flew through the air thanks to his dedication.
Soon the girls had their coveted treasures, but a few pieces continued flying. A slice of the Wall flew into Vigdis’ outstretched hands and then one into mine (above)! The moment took our breath away as those precious pieces - once a symbol of hate and separation - sailed through the air into freedom and peace. I cupped my piece as if it were gold, gazing at the black, purple, pink and blue piece of history. A beautiful swirl of color. Rainbow of hopes and dreams for a people on that Nov. day.
I always marvel at what surprising adventures can occur when you take a big or small travel detour on a whim. I’ve traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and I’m never disappointed when a bit of serendipity sends me in a totally new direction. But this trip to the Berlin Wall on that wee whim was the most amazing detour of all!
I still have that piece of the Wall that flew into my hands. It rests on my desk and the 11x14 photo (taken through one of the 34 holes opened that day hangs on my wall).
Yes, the days since the Wall’s opening have not always have been easy in that once-divided German city. But at that unique moment in time, all the hopes, dreams and wishes of a newly-liberated people literally flew through the air to me. And I’ll never be the same for having felt the power of that joyful, historic day in my very hands!
Photos by Linda Sorenson of Berlin Wall and piece of Wall chipped off for her by young man.
Linda Sorenson helps people, projects, and causes make a positive impact. As a writer, editor, and consultant, she draws on her unique global experiences at pivotal moments in time to make a joyful difference through all she creates. Puppets, songs, and active fun of her Organic Puppet Theatre: Health Activities Book workshops, shows, camps, etc. have helped 20,000+ young children value their bodies and get healthier and more active around the world Learn more at her new website and then connect with her. Take flight together today! Learn more at: http://lindasorenson.wix.com/write
