Berlin Wall

Happy anniversary of its downing. Sorry, I've been busy today, and will be tomorrow too most likely, but I had to give a shout out to the Wand umstossen meister: Ronald Reagan.

Short story: on a youth group trip to Berlin in the 60's I almost got a street number placard from the wall. I was atop a short pipe, balanced and stretching to reach it; and I had almost worked it loose when a chaperon's voice boomed my name. I immediately assumed the shout was coming from the East, and that I would soon be shot. I not only jumped down; I serpentined all the way back to the bus, and hyperventilated the rest of the day. They actually shot people back then. (though, in the west you were pretty much safe)