Today is June, 26 . It’s the anniversary of the famous Berlin Blockade and the day of the true beginning of the Cold War in 1948. After the Russians blockaded the city of Berlin they ultimately built a wall through it to either keep people in… or keep people out.
I view this as somewhat interesting as I made a thirty five year career out of building walls . With trowel in hand I have built a thousand walls or more of brick, block and stone . Pretty walls in gardens, and factory walls. Walls for homes and schools and walls in gated communities to keep people out, and prison walls to keep people in.
I understand and have an affinity with walls.
At an estate sale two weeks ago I found little of the deceased possessions of much interest to me until I entered his office . Pride of place was a little cardboard box imprinted …
“The Berlin Wall…Authentic Berlin Wall Cuts.”
Inside the box was a chunk of concrete in a cloth pouch and authenticating paperwork proclaiming it to be a genuine piece of the famous Berlin Wall. Outside the box was an asking price of $ 1.00 and as I handled that piece of concrete I could feel the warm summer morning when when those men poured the concrete to build it back in 1961. And I could feel the anger and glee of those who tore it down in 1989.
When I noticed the Germanic name of a fellow American on other items in the room I knew the $1.00 asking price worthy of it’s historic value. In 1989 American citizens cheered when our President intervened and urged a foreign nation to take down a wall…and two days ago those same Americans cheered the construction of 200 miles of wall right here in our own land.
I’ll build a wall again…. and tear one down as quickly
