Gene L Thompson

Leon's Guide Gene L Thompson

Early in his life, Leon learned how to handle life's irksome little problems, and this would be the one solution he employed for all of his troubles. When something popped up, Leon would turn around and head off in another direction. When he got older, he'd take beer with him, or wine, or anything else that would hide him from himself. What's easier than that?His life grew to be pretty easy, and because he didn't think about the important stuff, he didn't care that his life was awfully shallow as well as pretty easy. Leon was having fun and when he wasn't truly having a good time, he told himself he was, and that was the end of that. Leon drank and Leon worked, and those activities covered the entire panorama of his life. He didn't bother wondering if life should probably contain a little more than his contained, and if he accidentally thought about death, he'd make a quick turn or two away from that unnatural thought. He guessed he'd die one day, but as long as it wasn't today, he'd be fine, thank you. The day he took his usual shortcut to the beer store became the day he hadn't ever wanted to think about. Word of Leon's transformation was brought by a polite little guy named Alex, who told Leon he'd be showing him the ropes and answering his questions. He also made it clear that Leon hadn't learned nearly enough when he'd had so many chances, which explained Alex's role as guide and answerer of questions. And not only that, Leon was told, but in this new realm there were no side roads to sneak off on, no bottles to hide in. It was going to be different for Leon, tough at times yet warm and sweet, and Leon would eventually find out what was really waiting behind everything that used to chase him away.