Deep down you’re scared shitless.

Had the plan you would take the year off and “discover America” – college would wait.

Well, maybe not.

They were waiting for you – General Hershey and everybody at the Westwood Draftboard. They wanted you. Maybe not you in particular – they wanted warm bodies – they needed warm bodies. The Westwood Draftboard was smack next to UCLA – it was Deferment City. You were going to wait. You were an idiot. You thought you had all the time in the world – you didn’t. The draft had quotas – they had to make quotas. Westwood wasn’t getting quotas. You were part of the quota. They were going to make Marines – you knew where Da Nang was.

You had buddies who graduated before you who were drafted. They got sucked in – they became Jarheads. One didn’t come back and two didn’t come back quite right.

Head full of Walter and “That’s The Way It Is” and you couldn’t figure out why your life had to stop so soon.

Thirty Days until you report. Thirty days to get affairs in order – make all the promises – confess to every girl you had a crush on because you had nothing to lose and you didn’t want to leave Planet Earth with regrets. You might have missed the time of your life. You at least wanted to know.

You still wanted to see America – wanted to know what the fuss was about. Wanted to be up close and personal with The Rockies. Wanted to see The Grand Canyon. Wanted to know if the dirt really was red in Texas. Heard all about New Mexican Chili Powder. Wanted to sample all that life before the chance was gone. It was still August – there was still time.

So you grabbed all your money – all the money from savings – all the money from bagging groceries at Balian’s – all the Christmas money from Gram and Gramps.

Changed the oil – filled the tank – got enough Pioneer Chicken to last a month. Headed East.

Just you and your brain and your invisible passengers and loud animated conversations with no one in particular. Pocket Instamatic and slides to someday. Something to remember and something to remind you if the future took a different route.

And thank god for the Blaupunkt FM in your dashboard. Stereo even.

Travelin’ music, Sam – it’s travelin’ Music.

And 45 minutes worth of Brother John from KABC-FM on August 23rd 1969.