The other day, I was reminded that life is rather like a train ride. When we first board the train of life, we assume that our friends will accompany us all the way to our final destination. But all too often we must discover, that some of them will get off before we do, letting us continue alone. At first, we may feel sad and deserted, but as people get on and off throughout our journey we grow accustomed to new travel companions.
Some passengers will marvel at unexpected panoramas, others will remain unimpressed. While many stations will strike us as fascinating and inviting, others will appear unattractive and depressing. To our surprise and consternation, some of our dearest friends and family members may choose a compartment several cars away from us. Or we may find that the seat next to them is already taken. We may barely take notice of some travelers; yet we may miss others so much after they reached the endpoint of their voyage that we don’t want to continue the trip without them.
Life, like a train ride, is full of challenges, hopes, dreams, and good-byes. It adds to the mystery that throughout this journey, we can’t be certain of our arrival time or of our final destination. Neither do we know for sure when our fellow passengers might detrain, not even the ones sitting next to us.
All we know is that at some point we will be asked to get off the train once and for all. No doubt, it will hurt to have to leave behind those with whom we have shared this journey. But until then, I would like to invite you to join me for a few miles, take the seat next to me, point out some sights I may have missed and share a story or two. Welcome aboard, my fellow traveler!
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
