Maybe the truth is just not as interesting these days...

Have you ever noticed when you're talking with old classmates and someone's name comes up ("Whatever happened to old Gene?") there are a lot of interesting stories shared before the dull truth rears its not so exciting head? For example, someone heard that Gene was a roadie for the Grateful Dead. Another person heard that he's in a Nevada state prison after killing a man in Reno. Someone else heard that he was the chief CIA agent formerly assigned to what once was known as the Soviet Union. And another heard that he's an important writer who many years ago was the runner-up to Norman Mailer for the National Book Award.

Finally, you all learn that old Gene actually spent his career fixing Toyotas or working as one of the county's first computer guys - back when a computer was the big machine in its own air-conditioned room.

Fine careers, just not quite as interesting as the first old Gene stories that floated around... Which goes to show that there'll always be a need for good writers of fiction.