Today should be a much bigger deal in my eyes, and I'm sure it is in Europe.
20 years ago I was a sophomore in high school, sitting in history class with a German teacher, when there was a knock on the door. A second history professor came in and informed Tomas that "The Wall has just come down - East Berliners and pouring into West Berlin as we speak!" Tomas openly wept and we spent the rest of class listening to Tomas talk about his experiences and what this meant to him right through second period. The bell rang for morning break and nobody left the class. After word was getting around about the wall, more faculty and students who knew Tomas came to seek his opinion during morning break and joined our listening party. Eventually the party outgrew our tiny classroom and the principal, who was also in the room, moved the listening party to the auditorium where students were given the option of staying through 3rd and 4th period to listen to Tomas talk about the past and predict the future. Again nobody left.
After lunch, it was business as usual at the high school, but history class was never the same. Everyday was a new update from Tomas with people had spoken to that night or that morning about what was happening. It was all surreal. Friends of Tomas sent us pieces from the wall, which I still have with a picture of the friend who chisled it away for us.
6 years later when I decided to go to law school with an international focus, I spoke with Tomas, who gave me very simple advice: many people are focusing on the financial aspects of the post communist countries. Don't be that person. Somebody needs to start focusing on the political freedoms we enjoy in America. Be that person.
So throughout law school and seven years afterwards, I dedicated my life to building those political freedoms in the post-Soviet Republics. It was because of Tomas, and it may never have happened had the wall not come down while I was sitting in second period history.
Anyhow, today should be a bigger day.
