When I was in Washington D.C. a couple of times ago, a little over a year I suppose, I happened across this section of the Berlin Wall. It’s current home is at a place called the Newseum.

As you probably know by listening to any radio station, watching any TV network, or reading any newspaper or one of the supposed 900,000 blog posts that occur in any given day, today was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

I remember looking up at that piece of the wall and marveling at what it would’ve been like to have the intimidating slab of concrete running through your city, cutting you off from half of the place you call home, separating you from family, friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, co-workers… all with no goodbye.

I looked up at the wall and tried to imagine what it’d be like knowing any attempt at climbing it, digging under it, or busting through like the Kool-Aid Man would be met with a bullet to the head.

I wondered if I would be brave enough to attempt escape in pursuit of some vague notion of freedom that I didn’t know for sure if it would be over the wall or not. Or would I be brave enough on November 9th, 1989 to rush the wall and begin tearing it down after hearing  only rumours that travel restrictions would be lifted?

I’m in awe at those who were, inspired by them.

The whole events of November 9th twenty years ago also amuse me a bit too though I must say.

Now make no mistake, I don’t think there’s anything amusing about the courage of the German’s to break through the iron curtain. I definitely don’t think it’s funny the real risk these ordinary citizens took to their own lives. Nor do I think it’s amusing how drastically our world changed after that night.

Let’s not forget however, before chisel met wall the whole thing began with a cliche sitcom device, a misunderstanding.

Like some discarded B plot from Sgt. Bilko or Hogan’s Heroes the East German Politburo thought they should start giving press conferences after their little get togethers, you know, to help the public image of their secret meetings.

The problem is in a country used to suppressing the media your politicians aren’t exactly well trained in the principals of ’sound bites’ or ‘figuring out what your trying to say before your sitting in front of the world’s media.’

On the 9th of November a man by the name of Günter Schabowski drew the short straw and was chosen to announce that East Germany would begin the process of eventually liberalizing travel restrictions in and out of the country.

That’s all he had to say, but old Gunter, looking as comfortable and confident as me during my grade ten health class presentation on STD’s, got thrown by journalists oldest trick in the book. An Italian reporter attempted to get a firm date out of him! (This is an acceptable point in the story to loudly gasp)

He didn’t know, and he just so happened to be part of a government with one of the most soul (and body and property) crushing secret police forces so one has to believe he could’ve gotten away with replying “when we’re good and ready to, bitch.”

But he didn’t.

Instead Gunter got caught up in the excitement of the flashbulbs and the hard hitting question of “when?” from what surely must’ve been Italy’s Woodward or Bernstein.

“Immediately,” he made up… probably followed by the thought process, “they did say immediately in the meeting right? Ugh, why didn’t I spend more time listening and less time fantasying new ways to torture dissidents?!”

As luck would have it most of the leaders in the Soviet Union were already in bed by this point, and Gunter’s Politburo were all still locked away in secret meetings playing flip cup… or whatever they did in there.

By the time anyone realized the wacky misunderstanding the wall had already started to come down.

So today we celebrate the courage of a divided nation to come together after decades of fear and mistrust, and we celebrate what was one really bad day at work for old Gunter.

So the next time your boss is yelling at you, look them in the eye and say, “Hey! At least I haven’t spoken out of turn today and caused the collapse of one of the world’s mighty superpower’s and its numerous puppet states!”