the berlin wall

the first time david and i went to see the berlin wall, we went to checkpoint charlie and the wall there was just gray and desolate. in a way, this felt very true to the existence of the wall and how it divided berlin. later on during our last day in berlin, we managed to find our way to the east gallery, home of the famous murals that stretch a long way for a good walk. in comparing this bright, colorful collection to the gray wall we found at checkpoint charlie, i realize that one thing they both have in common is that they're both honest. the gray, in that it reflects how ugly and broken down we are when we say nothing against barriers; and the painted, in that it shows how beautiful and liberating we grow when we speak out against the barriers laid before us.