Berliner Mauer in Seoul *updated

While studying in Korea I came across something very surprising, and honestly, and something I'd wanted to see in person for a long time. I just didn't expect to see it in Gwanghwamun of all places.

 Der Berliner Mauer.

I'd went out walking and wound up in my favorite place, Gwanghwamun square, imagine my shock to see the unimpressive looking slabs of stone decorating the sidewalks. I didn't realize what it was at first. 

My brain did a double take  and it clicked. I knew exactly what that was. 

I probably worried the guards a bit, as I kept coming back to the walls and staring at the history that these old blocks of wall contained. The images I had seen playing in my mind like a movie; Trying hard to omit David Hassellhoff, and commands to get under our desks from that imagery. I did my best not to get too close, but I wanted to see the marks human beings has made. I wanted that tangible connection to history. The pain of its creation and the joy of it being brought down. 

The message Wir sind ein Volk- We are one people, glowing behind it. The idea invokes ideas of nations effort moving forward following tragedies, compounded with and a message of a better future echoing from the cold war past and glowing in hopes of a unification regarding the North and South Korean peninsula.

         I was excited and felt so lucky to to have two of my favorite countries in the same place. 

I believe bad people have power now. I am thinking about this wall… of concrete, barbed wire guards and steel to keep people apart… but here and now people are building their own concrete walls of dissension & hate built with ignorance and words, “you libtard” vs. “you conservative idiot.”  Claims that the "other side"  knows nothing/demands handouts/isn't responsible/patriotic/racist/communist/fascist. 

 

I, You, Me. US. THEM! Nowhere do I hear WE. We need to do better, we need to be better, we need to work TOGETHER and care about EACH OTHER. I’m so fucking sick of hearing people's reasons to be a shit human!!! “I shouldn’t have to care!” No, you shouldn’t have to slowly watch people you love die, when there is a way to save them. You should be a decent fucking human being! That being said. I wish people would start tearing down the walls they’re creating politically/racially/religiously/thoughtlessly and learn that we can't make things better by looking at life as an us/them situation. We could solve so many problems in this world but you gotta be willing to LEARN FROM OTHERS. One has to be willing to quit thinking with an "I" mentality - because WE are in this TOGETHER. 

People risked life and limb and came up with ingenious ways to get through these walls to get back to their families and loved ones. People fought to get through these walls. People tore down these walls. Throughout history walls were put up, and walls were torn down. The last thing we need to create more division. Let's learn from our histories, shall we?

Please take care of yourselves and of each other.