It was all sort of easy, it had all come and gone, the snowstorms, the street lamps telling us there was no school at midnight, the couch, the heater with all of us rolled up beside it in the thick blankets, the dogs, it was lovely,... studying the cub scout handbook, playing Ping-Pong, reading National Geographic. Mickey Mantle was my hero and Joan Marfe was the girl i liked best. It all ended with a bang...

There was a song called "Runaway" by a guy named Del Shannon playing one Saturday at the Baseball field. I remember it was a beautiful spring day and we were young back then and really alive and the air smelled fresh...This song was playing and I really got into it and was hitting baseballs and feeling like I could live forever. (Ron Kovic, Born on the Fourth of July)