I guess things never turn out exactly the way you planned. I know they didn't with me.
Still, like my dad used to say - traffic's traffic. You go where life takes you.
I remember a time, a place, a particular 4th of July.
The things I saw in that decade of war and change.
I remember how it was, growing up. Among people and places I loved.
Most of all, I remember how it was...to leave.
Nineteen-seventy-three was time of restless energy.
The first generation...
To grow up on "Sgt. Pepper" was heading out into the world.
Searching for truth.
Looking to find themselves.
Having a blast.
Me? That July, I was working in my dad's furniture factory.
Sanding the edges off about 500,000 pieces of wood per day.
Hey, scrote! Pick up the slack, will ya?
Shut up, Wayne.
That's no way to talk to your supervisor!
You're not my supervisor.
If I'm not your supervisor, why am I wearing a jacket and a tie?
Got me.
Uh-huh...
In what has to rate as the dumbest career move in history...
I'd traded my job at Chong's Chinese...
For a future in sawdust.
Kevin? Your checking the machine after every load, right?
Right, Dad.
And you're being careful?
Yeah, Dad!
The worst part was, for some inexplicably reason, everything my father did...
Irritated the heck out of me.
Dad, what are you doing?
Checking the machine.
I just told you. I checked it!
I heard ya.
And vice-versa.
Well then, why'd you ask me in the first place?
What'd you say?
I didn't say anything!
Alright, let's just get back to work... Pay attention to what you're doing.
I always pay attention.
Ah-ha.
Not to mention the last night I'd spent with my girl.
This song is really stupid. I mean, what is someone gonna to do - kiss an envelope or something?
Yeah, I guess so.
Winnie, are you sure you want to do this?
Well...it's a good job.
What - being a lifeguard at some stupid resort?
Kevin, my uncle went through a lot of trouble to get me this job.
Besides, what's wrong with being a lifeguard?
W- Nothing! It's just...
You're gonna be so far away.
And..
Course, what I wanted to say was... how much I'd miss her.
It's gonna be just - so... inconvenient.
Inconvenient?!
Who's stupid idea was this anyway?
I think it was yours.
Mine?!
You were the one who said that we should spend the summer finding ourselves.
I didn't say that...
What I meant was... we should find ourselves...
but, you know, still be together.
Uh, keep our space, only...
Not really.
Yeah, that was it, in a nutshell.
Kevin, do we have to argue? This is our last night together.
I'll think about you every minute.
And, well, putting it that way...
Me too.
What was I worried about?
We'd think about each other every minute.
I have to start looking for bathing suits.
Kevin!
Kevin, I told ya to pay attention!
Oh well, so my plans for summer had turned to carpenter's glue.
At least I still had my loyal friends.
We're leaving.
What?!
We're driving cross-country. We take off in three days.
You're kidding!
Well, we're going to New York, then New Orleans, and then...San Francisco.
Why don't you come with us?
Yeah! What do you say, Kev?
Oh, come on, man... we'll be out on the road!
We'll be living by our wits.
Go where we want to go.
Do what we want to do.
If we want to wake up in Kansas City...
We'll wake up in Kansas City. Think about it...
And faced with the call of the open road,
the song of the highway, the lure of total irresponsibility...
You're dreamin'.
Your parents are never gonna let you go.
There was really only one reply.
I'm in.
You're out!
What do you mean?
It'll be a great trip.
Now, where are they going exactly?
New York, New Orleans, San Francisco.
San Fran-cisco.
Don't forget to put some flowers in your hair.
Look, Dad, I just... don't think you understand.
I mean this trip will be good for me - I'll be out on my own.
Forget it.
Why?
You wouldn't survive two seconds on your own.
Oh, yeah?
What are you gonna live on?
Hey, I got money saved up. And besides, we'll be living on our wits.
Oh, brother.
You know, honey,
Karen's gonna be flying in on the Fourth of July weekend, and...
I thought it would be a good chance for us all to be together.
Look. There's no sense...
In discussing this any further. You're not going, and that's final!
Jeez, what was this - a family or a firing squad?
OK. See, I don't know why I asked you anyway!
This is my life, and it's my decision.
OK?
And I'm gonna do what I have to do.
And so, three days later, I got up at dawn.
Hey, thanks for letting us use your sleeping bag.
No problem.
To say goodbye to my friends.
Hey! We'll send you a post-card from New Orleans.
You're gonna have a great time.
Nah, come on, it won't be that good.
Yes it will!
I keep thinkin' were gonna meet these two girls, and they're both gonna fall in love with me.
- Hnnn! - Good luck!
We're not eatin' till St. Louis.
Seeya!
It came down to this...
I'd been stranded - buried in the blue-collar brigade.
Winnie...
Kevin, is everything OK?
Yeah. Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you. I really miss you.
Well, I really miss you, too.
You do?
Of course I do.
Yeah. (Winnie!)
That's what I needed...
A loving voice, a sympathetic ear.
How's the job?
Great!
It is?
Well, pretty good. You know I still have a lot to learn here.
Oh. That's good! I'm really happy for ya.
So, how's things with you?
- Well... - Hey, Winnie! Winnie!
You know, working for my dad isn't exactly -
Come on, cut it out! Winnie, come on!
- Winnie? - Come on, stop splashing!
- What's going on? - Oh, it's nothing, Kevin.
I have to get back to my job, OK?
Oh, uh, yeah, sure - work.
I'll talk to you soon.
Well, sure, I just hoped -
Great.
Just great.
And I don't know...
Maybe it was Winnie, or the noise, or the heat, but at that moment, I felt like I was going to burst.
I don't believe it - what are you doin' here?
I was just makin' a phone call.
You're supposed to be out there working. I can't leave you for one minute!
What's your problem?
What was that?!
Dad, get off my back!
What?!
You're on top of me every second, telling me how to run my life. "Do this, don't do that"...
I hate this job!
What's goin' on here?
You know what your problem is?
Yeah. I can't stand it here.
Uh-uh. You think you're to good for this job.
And that's when it happened. I looked at those guys, and all I saw was mediocrity...
And hard work. And being chained down the rest of your life.
Yeah, that's right. That's right! Maybe this job is good enough for you.
But it's not good enough for me!
Fine. You don't want to work here ...I don't want ya here.
And after seventeen years of living under my father's thumb...
OK...I quit! I'm outta here.
That next morning I took my life savings...
Of a hundred-and-thirty bucks, and packed my bag.
Honey? I wish you wouldn't do this.
I gotta go.
Well, you really don't, you know. You can just put that bag away...
I gotta be on my own.
I gotta find myself.
I know, but you can find yourself here. People don't realize it, but there's lots of places you can find yourself.
I mean...
You can go into a restaurant, lost, not knowing what you're doing.
Then all of a sudden... you can find yourself.
It was wise, and touching, and kind...
All at once.
It can happen anywhere.
It came from the heart of the woman who'd loved me, and raised me.
And I could only think of one thing to say.
Mom, I gotta get goin'.
I'll call when I get someplace.
All I knew was, I was seventeen, and on my way.
I was gone - and I didn't look back.
Freedom. It was more than just a full tank of gas,
and a highway under my wheels. It was me on my own.
With no one to answer to but the call of summer. And fun.
Not that I'd taken off without a plan. I knew where I was going.
Welcome to the Cascades... will you be staying?
Take care of my car.
Yeah, it's a classic.
Never mind that. This was perfect - fresh air, sunshine, and of course...
Winnie!
Kevin?
I can't believe you're here!
Yeah. Me neither.
I mean you just got in your car, and you drove all this way?
Well, yeah. I wanted to see you.
It was what you might call a hero's welcome.
Oh!
Almost.
Well, I mean...you're happy to see me, right?
Of course I'm happy to see you... I'm very happy to see you.
Good.
I just can't believe you're here, that's all.
Yeah, well. Things kinda blew up at home.
I, uh, I had a fight with my dad, and...I kinda quit my job.
You did?
Yeah.
Heh-heh.
Kevin that's aweful.
Heh...heh.
Well...not exactly. I mean...you know, I thought this way we could be together. And, you know...
Maybe I could get a job here -
Here?
Well, yeah. I thought maybe you could put a word in for me or something.
Well, maybe, but... I don't really know anybody.
Hi, Winnie.
How ya doing?.
See you at the pool.
Hell-o, Win-nie!
Hmmm!
Listen, Winnie, if you don't want to do this...
No, of course I do. Maybe I could help.
What kind of a job would you want?
It doesn't matter. You know, I could be a lifeguard, or a caddy, or...an assistant tennis coach...
Or, you name it.
Whatever.
Hey, watch it!
Tennis, anyone? In another dazzling career move...
I'd gone from sweatshop lackey, to bottom-of-the-barrel busboy.
Hey!
Mr. Arnold. You ready to get to work?
Yes, sir.
You get to set up all these tables.
Got it?
Butthead.
What'd you say?
Butter! I brought some butter.
Needleman...can't you do something about your uniform?
My tux is in the cleaners.
Welcome to the Cascades resort and tennis club.
Really.
Should always bring out three extra baskets of rolls.
These people are like locusts.
Really?
Hey, busboy!
My coffee's cold.
Needleman!
You are battin' zero today, buddy.
OK. Clearly, this wasn't gonna work. So maybe it was time to present my full resume.
Listen, Mr. Dexter?
Yes, Arnold?
This job isn't exactly what I had in mind.
Well...
They're digging a new septic tank out back. How are you with a shovel?
On the other hand...
Never mind.
Maybe it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.
After all, I hadn't come up here to investigate the wonders of plumbing.
I'd come up here for just one reason.
That would be it.
Hmmm!
Not that I was concerned or anything.
Winnie! Hi...
Oh! Hi, Kevin.
Kevin, this is Eric.
He's the head lifeguard here.
Hi!
I'm the new golf pro.
Oh, that's a joke, right?
Yeah.
I'm gonna go for a swim, OK?
I'll watch the pool.
And, uh...
Don't forget to take off your sunglasses.
Gotcha.
Yeah.
Ten-four...
So...
This is a pool, huh?
Great.
A woman with a whistle.
Listen, Kevin? Employees aren't really allowed around here during the day.
Sorry.
But, uh, I'll still see ya tonight, right?
Uh, sure!
Great!
Except...the lifeguards are kinda having this meeting by the lake.
And I kinda promised that I'd -
Winnie, is it just my imagination...
Or am I... spoiling your plans, or something?
What are you talking about?
You know, I came all the way up here to see you, and now I'm not gonna see you.
You know, I just feel like I'm gettin' in the way here.
No, it's not that...
Well, then, what is it?
I was just... really surprised to see you.
And it's really busy around here.
You just...gotta gimme a chance to ...get used to it.
And of course, the way she said it, it sounded reasonable enough.
OK...sure!
Thanks. I really appreciate it.
Yeah, well...
You know, I got to unpack tonight, anyway.
So, uh, I'll just... hang out with the busboys, OK?
So, I hung out with the guys.
Howie, you mind moving your feet a little?
Yeah, no problem.
And what a crew they were.
You guys think I look a little like Steve McQueen, eh? What do you think?
Oh, yeah. I'm always getting you two mixed up.
Yeah, this was some fun. Kinda like living in a zoo.
Hey, what do you guys do around here for fun?
There's lots of things to do...
Needleman's got a pile of magazines...
Is there anything else?
Well, yeah, ya know...
There's...poker with the band.
But you don't want to play poker with the band.
No. You definitely...don't... want to play poker...with the band.
Mind if I sit in?
Kid, you got money?
Yeah, sure.
Then make yourself comfortable.
Here we go.
You want a Pepsi?
No, thanks.
You know what you're doing? This is the band!
Yeah, these guys play for big stakes.
Yeah, yeah, don't worry.
Ten bucks.
I mean, hey, who'd these jokers think they were dealing with here?
Besides a chump, with a pair of twos?
I'm in.
Ay ay como un pescadito.
I raise you twenty.
Obviously the meringue business was booming.
That's twenty to you, kid.
That's twenty to you.
I know, Howie!
OK.
My manhood was on the line.
Such as it was. So...
I'm in.
OK, Kevin!
How many?
Gimme three.
He;s taking three.
After all, I knew a little bit about cards.
Gimme tres.
One lucky draw, you're in the chips.
Or...
Ten bucks.
I could bluff.
I'll raise you twenty.
****cito, I fold.
El foldo.
I fold.
And I raise you...twenty.
What's it gonna be, kid? You in or out?
Like they say - when the going gets tough...
The tough get going.
I'll raise you twenty back.
I fold.
Well, what do you know?
The pot...is mine.
OK, Kevin!
Way to go, Kev...
I won! Hah!
And my dad said I couldn't survive. Well I was surviving just fine, thank you.
I was on my own and doing alright.
There was just one more thing that could make this night perfect.
Excuse me. Excuse me...
Huh?
Have you seen Winnie Cooper?
Winnie Cooper? Yeah, uh, I think she's with Eric, right?
Yeah, Winnie and Eric are right over there.
Thanks.
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