“Today I will combine skepticism with optimism in my search for a happier truth."
Home Groupies is a 'thought for the day' book in the form of a novella. Rather than being spoken by a disembodied voice, the daily messages arise from the lives of flesh and blood characters. They struggle with their own issues as they deal with their friend Sharon's battle with cancer.
"Today I will accept sometimes I am powerless over that which is most precious and painful."
David, a fifty-something, bipolar, entrepreneur. David cheats on his third wife with a 'newbie' half his age who is pregnant by her married boyfriend. What's unreal is not the soap opera life he leads, but his rock solid belief in himself.
"Before you judge me, think about this with an open mind. I am keeping her from hooking up with more predatory men. I am showing her that she can enjoy herself without using drugs. Because my needs are being met elsewhere, I am taking the pressure off my wife. All the while, I am sharing my knowledge of Twelve Step programs and how they work..."
Skipping through the whole narrative is a little girl, Chanel, who has seen way too much, but whose spirit cannot be crushed:
"Small for her age, Chanel was seven, going on thirty, going on three. She would tell you with great pride she had completed second grade and could name all fifty states. Chanel had seen the police and paramedics come for her mother. She knew the smell of crack smoke, and how to be invisible when adults thought someone had stolen their drugs. She wanted to be held, and to know when she would see you again."
Sue is the most prominent of the female characters. She never smoked a cigarette in her life, and had the tenacity to become the first female president of the local carpenters' union. Sue is dying of lung cancer. She struggles with two issues: being scared out of her toughness, and her anger at the unfairness of it all.
Sharon, Sue's best friend, accepts the unfairness of Sue's situation, but worries about her other friends. Sharon's biggest regret is that she was born too late for Woodstock. She is fluent in eastern philosophy, and mystified others don't share her appreciation for the mystical.
"Today I will accept that life is unfair.
I will be glad I'm not in charge.
I will beware of how conveniently my wants line up with my desire for 'fairness."'
LeVaughn's love for what can be seen and measured. He teaches science at the local high school and volunteers at a nearby homeless shelter. LeVaughn is awestruck by all that he sees, and doesn't understand why Sharon needs to bring unseen forces into the discussion.
Victoria is old money, recovering from her addiction to painkillers. A rival's 'Prince Charming' was killed driving through a snowstorm to visit Victoria for some 'happily-ever-aftering.' Victoria still feels guilty about the whole affair.
She is a church-lady from old money who looks like she should be sitting at the opera, not at an NA meeting. Victoria started drinking at boarding school. She was introduced to prescription painkillers by a friend. "Street junkies were amazed at how much they had in common with Victoria."
Victoria's friend Robert may go to jail. While managing his family's bank, he combined painkillers, alcohol, and coke with an SEC investigation to bring about his downfall. He has become an expert at acceptance while he waits to see if he will be going to federal prison.
Tom is a tough guy who finally grew up. He walks with a limp he got from hitting a tree in his truck while he was chasing a neighbor. Tom is fighting with his ex for custody of their daughter. He has learned he is powerless over his ex-wife's behavior.
Home Groupies has a message, characters, and a plot. I know you will enjoy all three.
Ken Montrose