Special offer

My Thoughts Are All Over The Map - Who Am I Remembering This Remembrance Day?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Cardinal Realty ~ 319-400-0268

Veterans Day, aka Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. I'm having trouble concentrating on work today, because my thoughts are all over the map. I'm the daughter of a British Serviceman who served Queen and country for 22 years in many different countries in the world.  I'm also the sister of a British Serviceman who served for 12 years with 3 tours of duty in Ireland...(A different and very nerve wracking kind of war). And then there's my sons German grandfather who served on the Russian front in World War II...


Where do I start? Maybe with my own personal experiences of a different kind of war - The Cold War. After a childhood traveling with the British Military I had trouble settling down in my fathers hometown in Wales and moved to Germany in 1978. There I had close hand experience of living in the center of Europe during the Cold War era. There were a lot of military personnel  provided by the allies at that time, (including my brother), who were all there to make sure we didn't get invaded by Russia. I'm not saying we spent our days thinking about that possibility, but there were times it was apparent that we were living in an "occupied" country. I remember visiting my brother when he was stationed in Lemgo. What a different world that was to "my" Germany. Army bases create mini-worlds in the countries they occupy. This was something I knew from when I was growing up - This was just the first time I was seeing it from the other side of the fence!

Just a couple of days ago we celebrated the 20 Year Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War era.
I lived in Germany for 11 years before the Berlin Wall came down and 10 after. All I can say is, what a difference a day makes! Although it was actually a couple of years in the making... Mikhail Gorbachev started Perestroika and shook things up in Eastern Europe. In May 1989 Hungary opened its borders to Austria and presto East Germans had access to West Germany. We watched this unfold in West Germany and could see where it was heading. We figured somehow the leaders in East Germany would come up with a way to stop the flow of their citizens out of the country. They didn't! And the rest is history...

By now you can probably see why my thoughts are all over the map today.
I have had so many different experiences, some personal and some second hand as a family member over the years. Experiencing the end of the Cold War was like coming out from under a cloud into the sunshine. And I was living in the West. Can you imagine how they felt in the East?

 
And then there are my experiences as a family member. Soldiers don't talk about their experiences, but you can often feel their pain as a family member.
It was difficult re-adjusting to having my father around after constant absences. He was often moody and abusive. As an adult I understand why that was, as a child it was difficult. My brother was always very "jumpy" after tours to Ireland, where he constantly had to watch his back. My German Father-in-law came back from the Russian front in World War II with a body wracked by war, unable to work for the rest of his life.


These are all the people I think about today, along with anyone who puts themself in harms way for their country in the name of democracy.
I also think of the families of those same people. Most of us don't realize the sacrifices they make while their loved ones are protecting us.

 

Remember, soldiers don't start wars, they just fight them. And as a beautiful illustration of that fact I'm ending this post with a letter from an American soldier printed in our local newspaper, The Press Citizen this morning written on November 12, 1918.

Posted by

Denise Hamlin, Realtor®

Broker/Owner

CARDINAL Realty, Coralville IA 

Licensed to Sell Real Estate in the State of Iowa

 

Helping Happy Clients Make Smart Choices 

Iowa City Area Real Estate Services

 

Please remember that opinions expressed in my blog are just that - opinions - not fact
For legal or accounting advice please consult with a professional
Although the information provided is deemed reliable, it's not guaranteed

 

Comments (4)

Elizabeth Bolton
RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA
Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Denise ~ Such rich life experiences you've had! And so many people on your mind today.  I really enjoyed learning more about you from this post. I loved the letter from 1918. 

It really shook me this morning to hear that there was only one surviving WWI vet (though I have to confess I don't know if they meant one US vet). Sort of tumbled my gyros and reminded me once again how short life is.

Liz

Nov 11, 2009 12:19 PM
Denise Hamlin, Broker/Owner
Cardinal Realty ~ 319-400-0268 - Iowa City, IA
Helping Happy Clients Make Smart Choices

Hi Liz ~ I think it was the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that got me thinking in every direction when I wrote this post yesterday. And yes, you're right, my life is certainly rife with experience. I have so many stories to tell - this was just one of them!

As far as the letter is concerned, it really moved me. It's not the stories of Generals that are interesting to read, but those of the common man, who has a much more personal story to tell. Glad you liked it too.

Denise

Nov 12, 2009 10:58 AM
Elizabeth Bolton
RE/MAX Destiny Real Estate Cambridge, MA - Cambridge, MA
Cambridge MA Realtor

Hi Denise ~ Before I was in real estate I was an archivist.  Getting to read people's stories was such a treat. I sometimes joke about how I used to make a living reading people's mails and now I get to see inside their houses - another way to "read" their stories.

Liz

Nov 15, 2009 10:33 AM
Denise Hamlin, Broker/Owner
Cardinal Realty ~ 319-400-0268 - Iowa City, IA
Helping Happy Clients Make Smart Choices

Hi Liz ~ That's so cool. An archivist, I can imagine that was a pretty amazing way to earn a living too. As real estate agents we get to meet interesting people every day and even get invited into their homes. Pretty cool too if you ask me. I can see where you'd draw the parallels. 

Denise

Nov 15, 2009 01:00 PM