*Any* band? lol Some good ones there I'll bet. ;)
Like Atom Heart Mother this one's a story for me too.
My aunt was good friends with her in-laws, with one
family she'd visit with often, with me in tow, having a
15-year-old guy who became a lifesaver for me during
those long visits. This 9-year-old got pretty bored w/all
the adults and, instead of going out w/his friends, this
sweet guy would go to the basement, find some old game
from his childhood & bring it upstairs, hang out with me
playing it until it was time to go, then send the game
home with me.
Fast-forward to late '68, hadn't been much in touch; the
doorbell rings and here's 19-year-old Ricky, all decked
out in starched military finery, surprising us with a
goodbye. We hadn't known he'd joined the Marines, and
here he was being shipped out to jungle training in
Vietnam, them to serve. When he hugged me goodbye, he
said he had something for me and ran back to his car. He
came back with that record, handed it to me and asked me
to take care of it for him, that he knew I'd love it. He
then soberly cautioned me "not to do drugs, because it's
too easy to get caught up in that world," said he'd be
back and then he was gone. My gut knew that was the last
time I'd see him, and it was.
While I did empathize with and understand where everyone
choosing to serve was coming from, and took no issue with
the dignity of their right to choose, watching him walk
to his car and sensing his fate was quite the pivotal
moment in my 12-year-old contexts of being, and
activism...on so many levels, regarding so many realities
of life.
Rock on, Ricky. ;->
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