This is actually just an assignment I wrote for school. A quick diary entry from the viewpoint of Lucy from Across the Universe. I thought it might be fun to upload it here! Enjoy! :)
Everyone wants a revolution. Everyone has that little bit of change that they so desperately cling to the hope of, but yet they never make an effort to see that change happen. I have always been determined to not be one of those people.
My name is Lucy Carrigan. I was born into a wealthy family, so I had my fate decided. I was to graduate high school, go to college and become successful in the world. That's all a parent can hope for their daughter in the 1960's. My brother, Max, was already fulfilling that stereotype, off at college, studying law or something of the sort.
When I was a senior in high school, I met the most wonderful boy, Daniel. But at the time, the Vietnam War was raging. It was every boy's dream of fighting and protecting their country. I supported Daniel, but at the same time, I didn't want him to be hurt. He assured me he would be fine, then he was off. Oh, being away from him was such torture! I waited anxiously for his letters, and when they were late, it set off alarms in my head. I couldn't shake the bad feeling I had. Once, his letter was almost two weeks late. By then I had convinced myself that something was wrong. But instead, I got wonderful news-he was coming home! For one whole glorious week, he was going to be home! My friend and I went shopping to buy me a new dress for his arrival. As we passed by his mothers house on our bicycles, I saw the most heartbreaking sight I've ever seen. Two Army soldiers were knocking on Daniel's door. I dropped my bicycle in the street and ran to them. By the time I had made it to them, they had already handed Daniel's dog tags to his mother and turned to walk away. I fell to my knees, crying, sure that I would never recover from this loss.
After Daniel's death, I realized I needed a change of scenery. Max had just recently dropped out of college, and was moving to New York City with his best friend Jude. I decided it would be my best bet to go with them. Life in NYC was exciting; it made me feel alive again. We lived in an apartment with a singer, Sadie, and her guitarist, JoJo. We spent our nights at local pubs and underground clubs watching them perform. I loved the freedom of it all, and I loved getting to spend so much time with my brother again. Little did I know life was about to throw me another curveball.
Max trudged into my room one morning, looking as though he had lost his best friend. He tossed a letter at me before plopping down onto my bed. Skanning the letter quickly, I saw that it was a draft. He was to report to the Army office the following morning. My mind was racing. I was not going to lose my brother too! Max tried everything he could think of that would make him ineligible for the Army, but sadly, he couldn't get out of it. With the war still going strong, every man was needed. Two weeks from that morning, Max shipped out. I felt like I was losing Daniel all over again. I felt helpless that there was absolutely nothing I could do to keep Max safe. All I could do was hope and pray.
After Max shipped out, I started working with anti-war rallies. It was a dangerous feat, but I felt like I needed to do it. I was always watching fellow protesters getting arrested or even assaulted by the police. Every image of the war that we saw, I looked for Max; just hoping to get a glimpse of him, just to know he was okay.
Exactly four months from the day he shipped out, Max was discharged. The war had messed with his head; stolen his sanity. He wasn't injured physically, but instead injured in a way that is almost worse. When he came home, he wasn't like the same person. The fun-loving, happy guy we had once known was gone. It made me hate war all the more.
As time went on, Max got better. He got a job working as a cabby in NYC. As for me, I got a job working for an anti-war magazine. Life has had its up and downs, and it has definitely not been like my parents wanted for me, but I wouldn't change it. There are things I remember from my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better, some have gone and some remain.