June 20, 1972: Run Away

I ran down to Rainy River creek and stared at the stream. I saw leaves sailing down the steady river. I saw fish swimming and jumping from the cool waters. I saw the shore of Canada and its bountiful plant life. I thought to myself "Jump and swim across already", but my body wouldn't budge. I was frozen.


Finally, I jumped and swam. I kicked and paddled until reached the other side. What seemed like days took several minutes; suddenly...I was on the other side.

I took one last look back at where I came from. I saw leaves sailing down the steady river. I saw fish swimming and jumping from the cool waters. I saw the shore of Minnesota and its bountiful plant life.


And then,


I ran from the Vietnam War draft. I ran from the government. I ran from home...

June 17, 1972: Frustration and Contemplation

I woke up today feeling as though my life was coming to an end. I went out to run some errands, but, in the process, I felt like looking for stuff to cross off my bucket list.






Every store and person I walked pass seemed like I was saying "Good bye" to them. It aggravated me so much just thinking about the draft notice. Does it look like I can go fight in a fucking war? I'm a fucking college student for crying out loud. I have a future ahead of me. The government would be better off sending Jake Smith off to war; I'm sure he'll serve a better job with his brute strength and tiny brain.


As if the draft isn't drawing in enough soldiers, I saw a propaganda poster today down by J&D convincing people to enlist in the army. Why does the government need these damn posters if they already got the Selective Service System drafting thousands of U.S. citizens off to Vietnam? Don't they understand these are lives they're risking, not disposable and replaceable tools. I wish there was a solution to this madness.


What if I run away? I mean, Canada is just a swim away and I'll be free from the grasp of the Vietnam War draft. My mom might worry and Jeffrey might not have an older brother to look after him, but the idea just might work. That's it, I'll run away to Canada before the 20th comes.

June 14, 1972: The Mail

I went out to the mail box expecting to find a letter from Brown. Instead...




I found a draft notice, a Selective Service System draft letter.



From that moment on, everything that I found joy in was sucked out of me like a black hole sucking all the light from its surrounding. In a matter of seconds, the letter took away my happiness, my future, my life. I felt like a hollow body. For the longest time, I was just...standing there staring at the letter; not even reading it, just staring at the three words: "Selective Service System."

June 12, 1972: Graduation and Proposal

Today was my high school graduation, and it was one heck of a day. As I walked up to the stage to receive the one piece of paper that would change my life, Principal William shook my hands and told me "Yes, David, you will do great things". After that, I couldn't help but feel a warm blanket of joy and jubilant envelop me. The crowds of proud family members, the sound of joy and jubilation, and the shower of green graduation caps raining down as the ceremony ended truly made this a memorable day. I have waited for this moment for four years, and it couldn't be better.


If the three words "High", "School", and "Graduation" weren't enough to express my happiness, I proposed to Tracy on that same night. We were down by Rainy River sitting by the creek and thinking about our lives after graduation. She was accepted to University of California, Los Angeles, and I was on my way up to Brown. As the sun started to set, I drew out the box and proposed. She said, "Yes, I will."

Two "yes" in one day, could my life get any better than that?