E. Leon: A Perfectly Imperfect Dad

Book excerpt: Everett Leon Kincaid Jr.-E. Leon-was not perfect. But, then again, he never claimed to be. He didn't have time. He was too busy trying to earn a living as a traveling advertising salesman and be the best dad possible to his five sons. Those were his priorities, not perfection. Leon's goal of being a good dad stemmed from the troubled relationship he had with his own father. Leon swore that he would never treat his own children the way his father treated him. He lived up to that goal with his five sons, using a combination of common sense advice and humor. His common sense usually came in the form of sayings, including -Money's never an issue, as long as you have some of it, - -There is a fine line between being 'in the groove' and being 'in the rut, '- and -Don't ever get old. It's not all it's cracked up to be.- Leon taught his sons how to drive, how to defend themselves, how to deal with people, how to compete, how to play baseball and other sports, and, in the process, how to be good dads themselves.