Meant to Be (98-141)

Summary
During the third section of this book, Walter's life took a major turning point. After finding out about his real father and the full story of his mother's secret affair, he had a new outlook on life and more specifically, on his own life. After deep reasoning, he decided to stay in the civilized world and out of the Marines. However, he had many troubles fitting in again. He no longer had friends he could hang out with because they were all gone. He realized he needed a job right away and applied to numerous places. He was not accepted almost everywhere because he was a Vietnam veteran. The citizens, then, were angry at the war US was having with Vietnam and said hostile remarks toward veterans like Walter that hurt and frustrated him. At times, he lost his temper and threatened or harassed the civilians. When he finally received a job at Nevis Laboratories, a division of Columbia University, he quit because he was discriminated and menaced by his coworkers. That evening, he promised himself four things: to find another job while finding out how to become a writer, to keep his mouth shut on his mother's secret (which she asked him to do), to avoid serious relationships with women until he gets his mind straight, and, lastly, to meet more Jewish people so he could understand where he came from.
Fortunately, three days later, he received a job by a man who was Jewish. So, he had killed two birds with one stone and fulfilled two promises at once. Eventually, he broke his third promise when he got engaged to his soon to be wife, Loretta, who he found attractive, kind, and empathic. Before they got married, Walter told Loretta about his mother's secret (with his mother's permission) and she did not care at all that he was Jewish. She accepted him either way and promised to keep the secret between themselves and Walter's mom. Later on, Walter applied and received a job at the town newspaper Reporter Dispatch as a journalist.
The author then skipped the next four years of his life and jumped into when he was becoming 26. Married with a full time job as a well known journalist, Walter was expecting a baby in a few weeks. After an exceptional interview with admissions at Mercy College, Walter was awarded full scholarship (without even applying for it) to be a full time student there. He happily accepted this opportunity and, again, would be working full-time and attending college full-time. At the ending of this section, on Sept 17, 1970, Walter received his first child, Eric, into the world. He promised to try to make his son's childhood very different from his'.

Quote
"I reached up and squeezed his right hand, then quickly twisted the hand back into his wrist... "That hurts, doesn't it? Words hurt too"" (Anderson 121).

Reaction
I thought that this quote was really powerful and true. After coming back into the civilized world, Walter was treated badly by his new coworkers and one day after being yelled at by one for entertainment, he decided to teach him a hard lesson. He clinched his hands and asked him if that hurt. The man quickly said yes and to please let him go. Well, words hurt too, he replied before letting go. He taught him a good lesson that day and all the other workers were there to witness this truth. I was quite surprised at his reaction, though. He did that out of nowhere and with seriousness. When he said those true words, I saw him as a helpless little kid who finally got to say what he was so eager to say for so long. He had, once and for all, released his anger out to the world and demand the respect he deserved. I though that was a sign that he is becoming a man.