It’s been said, “80% of life is just showing up!”

I should have taken that advice when I went home for spring break from college during my freshman year. Spring Break is normally just a week; however, I decided to extend my spring break and stay away for three weeks. That decision turned out to be a bad decision at that time of my life. I was attending college on a basketball scholarship, and by not showing up, when I finally returned, I was locked out of my dorm room and kicked out of college.

The year was 1966, and our Country was involved in a military conflict in Vietnam. You were eligible for the draft unless you were in school with a 2.5 grade average. I wasn’t just eligible for the draft, I was the Poster Child for what a draftee looks like.

I was 19, I was in great physical shape, I was single, I was no longer in college, so it turned out I wasn’t too bright. After getting kicked out of college and having my scholarship terminated, I received my draft notice within three weeks. The envelope I received was very official looking, and when I opened it and took out the letter, it read, “GREETINGS, From the President of the United States.”

So I did what every young red-blooded American boy at 19 did. I panicked. Even though I screwed up and got myself kicked out of college, I couldn’t believe I had been drafted. Not me, not yet.

This book is about my journey and transformation from a civilian to becoming a Marine. Everyone who joins the Marine Corps goes through the exact same training. Whether your journey takes you by way of Parris Island or MCRD San Diego, your first encounter once off the bus has you standing on those Yellow Footprints.

That first experience standing on The Yellow Footprints changes your life forever and sets the stage for showing up.

If 80% of Life is just showing up, just showing up isn’t sufficient to be successful... but it is necessary.