Ten years ago, citizens from East and West Germany started to demolish the Berlin Wall, and the road to the unification of Deutschland began. I can recall my parents watching live coverage of a plethora of ecstatic people breaking down a huge wall that segregated Germany. I didn’t realize at the time the significance of this historic day until I was older, but even my 7-year-old self knew that what was going on was something exciting and important.
I traveled to Berlin this past summer, and when I saw the remnants of the inner wall, the shocking reality of this tangible reminder of the former communist German Democratic Republic really hit me. As I walked through the museum at Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous crossing point between the East and the West), it was chilling to see photographic evidence of what this wall did to a country and to a group of people.
One of my favorite memories of this century does not involve a “picture perfect” scenario. When the Berlin Wall was torn down, the country was not immediately unified. It has been a difficult and costly process for the Germans to rebuild the former East Germany. That one night, however, Nov. 9, 1989, marked the first time since the beginning of the Cold War that many East Germans had tasted freedom. Witnessing the elation, the tears of joy, and the newfound hope in the Germans’ eyes was priceless.
![Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-l-Illinois-marijuana_175925141.jpg?w=546 "Four years into cannabis legalization in Illinois, celebrations of the April 20 informal weed holiday known as 420 are getting bigger and more widespread. Named for the time of day a group of friends met to get high, 420 has become a chance for marijuana users to publicly share a previously illegal drug and the counter-cultural atmosphere surrounding it. The main event in downtown Chicago likely will be the second annual 420 Sesh Fest, at Green Rose Dispensary. The party will include live music, a magic show, carnival games, food trucks, pop ups, and product discounts. It also will feature Grammy-nominated […]")