I really should've paid attention

Mr. Wright would probably be disappointed in me. I sat in his World History class for 1 year in high school. He loved me. I was a great student. I got straight A's and sometimes got A+ in classes. My teachers loved me and I loved them. However, most of them would probably be disappointed because the only thing I learned in k-12 schooling was how to perform well, how to achieve a great grade, but learn nothing in the process.  I would study for hours for a test only to have the knowledge quickly wash away like a written message in the sand only to be taken away by the waves. 

I'm currently in Berlin. Now can I be honest for a second? Didn't really know what to think about coming to Germany. I've heard a lot of my friends talk about it and how much they love it. But me, I really didn't have many emotions towards the place. I honestly just never really thought about it or had a real desire to visit it...which tends to be the case with most countries in the world. So as I step out of what seems to be one of the biggest train terminals ive been too I realized that I had no idea what to see in this place. I did zero research and the only real thoughts I had were "well, the germans killed jews soo im sure there is something to do with that here". Yup Mr. Wright, I'm sorry. 

I walked in to my 11 euro a night hostel realizing that it was this swanky hotel that i somehow magically got into. talk about a bonus. if i couldnt find anything to do in berlin i could hang out here. i quickly found a brochure for a free walking tour and moseyed on over to Starbucks (Yup they are literally EVERYWHERE) and met up with my soon to be tour guide who would walk a group of us through the streets of berlin telling us stories of Germany from past to present..for 4 hours. 

4 hours, i remember classes in college that lasted that long and i'm surprised I have any hair left on my head because when im bored or dont know what to do with my hands i start playing with my hair..aka shedding. however, this 4 hour tour was the exact opposite. i loved hearing about the berlin wall, not realizing that it separated Germany into East and West, not realizing that they were different countries, not realizing that berlin itself was split, not realizing that the only reason the wall came down was because some guy was too lazy to attend the commie meetings and too lazy read.....so maybe laziness could be a "good thing" afterall. 

Needless to say I learned so much about Germany but it wasnt dull, it was like learning how to ride a bike. Not the times when you are first learning and falling over or staring at your parents because you cant believe they are just standing there watching you possibly fall to your death. no no im talking about the time when you are actually riding. the wind in your face and hair and you are smiling so big that your face hurts afterwards. i loved all of it. Since I never really thought about Germany I realized a lot of things during this tour.  How would a country responsible for a holocaust and some of the worst tyrants in history be? How would they handle that past? Would they hide it? Would they ignore it? Or would they remember. And Berlin my friends, they remember.

There is this memorial in the middle of the city, it is a bunch of slabs of concrete, all are the same width and length but the height is all different. They are to symbolize all the 6 million deaths of the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. In Prague there is a grave site, only one grave site that they Jews were allowed to bury their dead. It's about the size of a city block, sounds big? Not for 90,000+ people. The grave sites were literally toppling over onto eachother. Some say this is gravesite in Prague is the picture the slabs of concrete are showing. Others say it is a graph of all the deaths from the beginning to the end of the Holocaust. And im sure others say something else. But what I like is the fact that it is purposely located by one of the biggest tourist attractions and by an area that a lot of representatives and locals have to walk by.  This is a site to remember. It is impossible not to notice and will be impossible to forget. So as people in government and locals and even tourists walk by, people will see the past decisions that were made and work towards a future that will not repeat such hate, and evil. 

 It reminds me of the Israelites. I never really thought much about all the altars the people built. One of my friends recently told me about an altar she made. She talked about how an altar really isnt for the Lord but it is more about the people remembering the Lord and that she too had an altar that she wrote things down on. She wrote the ways God answered prayer, the ways he provided, and was present. She had a way to remember. A place to look to bring back the memories and possibly the hard moments in life so she could remember that God has and will provide and has been with her in every hard and good moment. 

I like that idea. Having a tangible item, thing, whatever, to look at so that when my eyes see it, I too cant help but remember the ways God has provided and still is providing. 

Berlin is a beautiful city, one that has been through a rough and terrible past, but has decided to put reminders all throughout it about the ways they have overcome the past but also have reminders to not go back in that direction. 

I have loved my Germany lesson and i honestly wish i could go back to Mr. Wrights class, sit back down in my chair and really learn what he taught, not caring about the grade, because in the end, its what we remember that stays with us, that molds us, that changes us. 

The Jewish Cemetery in Prague

The Holocaust memorial in Berlin