A Mortal Pulled from the Pit
I stand at the edge. Beyond my vision the road continues, but where will it take me? How many more pits and detours? What about others who travel the same or similar roads? Will we reach our destinations? Southern Gospel lyrics come to mind: "Through this world of toils and snares, if I falter, Lord who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee dear Lord, none but Thee." I turn and look beyond the edge to where the road descends into darkness, and I remember the beginnings of my own odyssey. The year was 1965 and the beginning of my senior year at a private prep school on a college campus. I strove to maintain a place on the honor roll that would ensure college acceptance and student deferment from military draft. The Vietnam War's insatiable appetite for young men was unrelenting. Family, a girl friend, studies, work, athletics, and buying a '57 Chevy summed up the cares of my youth. That was until an October Monday morning when summoned to the school ...