Today, thirty years ago, the Federal Republic of Germany and the People's Republic of Germany Germany formally became (again) one nation, Deutschland. Here are some words I offered on an earlier celebration of today. I called it:
Sometimes We Do Win
Today is Saturday here in Everybody's Gone Surfin', Surfin' USA, but across the pond in Germany, today is a big deal, den Tag der Deutscher Einheit (Day of German Unity).
I lived in West Germany as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics joined innumerable failed nation-states on the dust heap of history and, in stunningly short order after that happened, the Warsaw Pact held a going out-of-business sale and did.
I lived in West Germany as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics joined innumerable failed nation-states on the dust heap of history and, in stunningly short order after that happened, the Warsaw Pact held a going out-of-business sale and did.
A friend from back in those days, Roger, shared a terrific article that I hope you'll find the time to peruse so that you can experience through the eyes of an elected West German leader who grew up in a 'house divided' what feelings and emotions he had at that time, and today, looking at the danger zones across Europe, what he fears could happen next on a continent he very much loves.
Roger and I worked together in the same place for quite some time back then and though we had gone in different directions sometime earlier, in a way we both wound up returning to the Land of Boundless Opportunities (click the speaker to hear what Germans call our country and remember some of the things we have called ourselves in the years gone by) because of the seismic shifts that happened in Europe as a result of the Fall of the Wall and reunification.
Roger and I worked together in the same place for quite some time back then and though we had gone in different directions sometime earlier, in a way we both wound up returning to the Land of Boundless Opportunities (click the speaker to hear what Germans call our country and remember some of the things we have called ourselves in the years gone by) because of the seismic shifts that happened in Europe as a result of the Fall of the Wall and reunification.
Today is truly Germany's birthday. Herzlichen Gluckwunsche und alles gut. I have a ton of memories from the run-up to this day and know that for many on both sides of what once was a border, hearts are filled with mixed emotions of what was lost but what has also been gained.
I'd hope Vlad the Impaler is able to catch some of the festivities on Eurovision from his Dacha of Domination on the Black Sea or wherever the feckless b*stard is while his minions toil and terrorize in Georgia and the Ukraine.
No comments:
Post a Comment