Part 1 What We Learned:
第一章的后半篇完成了John命运的转折：
转折一：参军。
青少年时期的John离经叛道，妥妥的一个坏孩子，物质的贫乏，与父亲间缺失的交流，让他离正轨越来越远。抽烟喝酒、打架旷课，早早地结束学习生涯……他用叛逆谴责寡言的父亲；用叛逆控诉生活的不公；用叛逆麻痹自己彷徨的心。最终，荒废了学业，并从一个坏孩子顺其自然地成长为一个“无志”青年，与他能接触到的大多数人一样做着低端的工作，谈着不靠谱的女孩，并被不断解雇着。直到那个真正让他心动过的女大学生离开他，直到他再一次被解雇……他才幡然醒悟他的生活出了错，这一切都不是他真正想要的，他开始想要改变这样无限死循环的糟糕的生活。于是他参军了——走出了这终将改变他人生轨迹的重要一步。
转折二：爱情线索。
章节最后，John休假回家在海边遇到两个女孩，并在命运的安排下无法自制地冲进她们遇到的麻烦中……文字在这里停滞了，却让人无限遐想 —— 我猜他会纵深一跃，为女孩捡回她的包；我猜这两个女孩中一定有一个就是Savannah……至此，他奔向的是一段如前言中描述的刻骨铭心的爱情。
读完第一章，让我印象最深刻的其实是John的父亲，John对他从外形到性格都有大量的评价和描述，在清晰还原青少年经历的同时几次提到过自己的悔意……这个不高大、不富有、不健谈的父亲，用他的隐忍、坚韧，甚至是他惯常做的炒蛋、烤面包和培根，清晰地描绘着自己对John的爱，无论John是好是坏，无论John理解还是不理解，他都用自己简单又笨拙的包容表达着对John的爱。这份爱不离不弃，也毫无条件。所以我相信John命运的转折并不是偶然，那是父亲用爱在他心里刻下的痕迹，他的人生也因着这个轨迹展开。
Part 2 Q&A
1. What did John's father do after they had a fight? Did it work?
John’s father was at a loss as to what to do, he tried the only way he knew—talked about coins and continued to cook their breakfasts and dinners. But it didn’t work, because it’s not what John really needed.
2. What are the evidences of John's rebellion?
He began to cut classes and smoke and was suspended for fighting on three occasions. Then he gave up sports, too. During his senior year, his rebellion reached a high point. His grades had been slipping for two years, and he was often drunk outside and came back late. He hadn’t even applied to junior college.
3. Why did John join the army?
Because he didn’t want to spend the same pointless evening pretending that everything in his life was okay. He wanted to change his living conditions, created a life as someone new.
4. What changes did John make after joining the army?
John made a lot of changes in the army:
He learned to take responsibility; he quit smoking and curbed drinking; he got promotion and acknowledged his own leadership; he started reading and fitness; he was not a big fan of social anymore. Above all, he came to understand his father and improved the relationship between them.
5. What's the army life like? Did John enjoy it?
The army life was boring, dangerous and even deadly.
John didn’t enjoy it, but the experience changed his life forever.
