If at first you don't succeed, Fail, Fail Again
It was only when my blood pressure was checked that I became aware of something genuinely odd. As I handed the technician my file, he saw the big red letters and chuckled. With the cuff inflated on my arm, he mockingly said, "It's amazing that you haven't dropped dead in that chair! Look at that blood pressure! What is it, 300? Nah, I'd better make it a little lower, maybe 260 or 245." He saw that I was confused. "Don't sweat it buddy. Here's your clipboard, and have a good day."
Having never in my life experienced blood pressure higher than 130, I knew he has lying, and giving me another reason to fail my physical. Why? I share my thoughts about this in the Appendix to this article.
At the end of that day, my draft status finally resolved, I donned my jeans and shirt at the locker, and shook Fort Hamilton's dust from my loafers. My Honda would be waiting for me in Great Neck, and I could ride it into the life I now could resume.
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