Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 11, 2024

Les is content. That’s a good thing. We can’t all be electro-quantum astrophysical poo-pahs.

So we’re spending a week on a man who has no ambitions, goals or desires. Maybe that works for The Buddha but it makes Les worthless.

So Les is Happy and he Knows it, Stomp your feet.

Once upon a time, Knox had ambitions back in 2015-2016

Here’s the problem: Les has been living off his Unca Al’s dime and kindness for too long.

Al has provided free room and board. Les gets in trouble, Al bails him out.

It hasn’t occurred to Mr. Knox yet that if Al is suddenly out of the picture, that it’s gonna be TOUGH to live solely off a dishwasher’s salary.

You’re wasting your breath, Gunny.

The only thing that’s gonna get Les back in school is some hot babe, he’s drooling over.

That, and maybe Les getting laughed out of the dealership when he try’s to buy a brand new BMW M2 on a “dishwashers” salary. ;-)

Les is content now. But not later. At some point he is going to need more money – maybe when he takes on a girlfriend.

I like the direction of this chapter – more bonding between the two for better future for Les.

And with a moggy on his shoulder it doesn’t get any better!!!

Trade school, Les. Get rich without debt.

Les might wanna re – evaluate his thinkin, especially if he ever has to pay rent on a place, pay utilities on said place, pay for food an cat food and hope he has a little left over if he wants to go out somewhere or mebbe on a date.

But if he’s happy as a lark in his current station in life, no one’s gonna be able to tell him anything

Is it just me or does Les looks like Bob Hope?

I can’t fault Les here. Some people wanna push to be bigger and better. Others are perfectly happy being a burger flipper at McDonalds. As long as it pays the bills and puts food in the fridge, that’s all they need. Not everyone’s goals are the same, so let’s not judge. Not like we know their story, anyway.

I had a badly-paying job for 25 years, but found fulfillment elsewhere—being active in my synagogue, painting, volunteering, enjoying films from Hollywood’s Golden Age… Les makes a good point here—at least he’s not pimping or selling drugs.

I’m not sure that being a dishwasher at The Fuse is really a viable long-term plan..

Hey, somebody’s got to do the dishes . ..

I have a friend that has worked 12yrs at the same restaurant as a dishwasher.

Les, you won’t be able to live in the guest house at Gunther’s mom’s forever. A dishwasher’s paycheck won’t get you much beyond a rented room in the bad part of town, if even that. You should also understand that the Fuse also won’t be around forever.

Well, the world needs dishwashers too and if Les likes his job, all the better. It means he will do a good job.

Many years ago, dining at a restaurant, we had the most incredible waiter. We engaged in conversation and we asked if this was putting him through school.

I can’t actually remember the answer to that question but I do remember that he said he always tried to be the best, no matter what he did. He waited on tables, so he was going to be the BEST waiter. And he truly was!

We loved his attitude and the pride he took in his job. It is too bad more people don’t have his ethics today.

If that works for him, cool.

I can relate to Les’ approach.

Mom could never understand a great-grandson who got a factory job out of high school. She thought he could go to college. The world needs people can do a lot of different jobs. They all don’t require degrees. And it’s wonderful if you can enjoy your work.

If everyone was the same, it would be a boring comic strip. Can you imagine Peanuts with all characters like Charlie Brown? Yin and Yang.

As long as Les isn’t complaining about his life, there’s no reason to suggest that he live it any differently. The world needs dishwashers, after all.

Lacking ambition and being fine with dishwashing makes sense. But it also means you have no roof if it wasn’t for Irma and Al.

Gunther and Les are polar opposites. It appears Les may have found his calling in life, despite Gunther’s admonishment. If Les is happy with what he’s doing and not harming anyone else, who is Gunther to decide or determine what Les “should” be doing with his life? Now that I think of it, it appears to me that of the two, Gunther has more angst currently in his life than Les does. Besides, is Gunther doing anything at all to earn a living? If not, he really doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room to critique Les’ manner of income.

I washed dishes at a steakhouse my senior year H.S. Good experience, meeting adults working together as a team, most of the time. :)

Les has reached his angle of repose.

I hope Knute and Delta come back, but I don’t think we’ll ever see them again.

I am quite with Les there. While my job doesn’t pay that much, it’s low stress, I am left alone and I almost like it. At least I don’t actively hate it. My wife is fine with being the main income provider, and that’s the main thing.

Some people set the bar high. Others like to be able to just step over it and are content with that.

Maybe this arc will be about Les finding an ambition in life? I think he’s really happy and could easily stay a dishwasher his whole life. But who knows, maybe one day he could decide to open a cat café with Punk and all his future kittens. Uncle Al would definitely be able to help him with that.

Les is a man of simple pleasures.

Living with success early in life. Now Leslie may need to dream up more goals.

But he has potential. Bus boy, then waiter are jobs in his future

His redeeming quality is that he likes cats

Where is it written that you HAVE to go to college? That you HAVE to have a degree? That you HAVE to have a career? College isn’t for everyone. Some people just want to have a low-stress life which could mean a low-stress job – come in, do your job and leave. Les is employed – he’s not leeching off of assistance and who’s to say they aren’t paying his uncle rent?

Once again, the Evans Clan has its finger on the pulse of Young America. Millions of young kids today want to be dishwashers, because it’s EASY. Crazy kids.

All I know is that when I was in college the university radio station was taken over by “professional students” – people who had graduated but thought it would be cooler to stay at the station and play “Breakfast with the Beatles” for the next 30 years. This was OK for the first ten years or so, but I used to go up to them and ask “Hey, isn’t this the year your little sister graduates from Law School?” It was like the Lost Boys only with worse music.

Les is preparing to hook up with a lonely cat lady who he will meet in the park. Gunther will move on with Bets, and Les will live happily ever after, with his cat lady.

I feel like nobody who has actually worked as a dishwasher would say it was “minimal effort”.

So Les enjoys living in a glorified toolshed (furnished solely with a couple beanbag chairs and an overpriced area rug) with a guy he can’t stand, lorded over by his mobster uncle who won’t even allow him to have a woman stay overnight? That’s his life’s goal achieved right there?

An education certificate says that you may have the tools and ability to start learning a job. One could become an electrician by following a master electrician around for some years but it would be difficult to impossible to become an electrical engineer without a significant understanding of math and physics

Education provides nothing more than opportunity. “Love what you do” may benefit or not from the amount and specificity of the education you achieve.

This is the exact topic I mentioned yesterday. Nice that Gunther is asking him kind of neutral questions about his goals in life. It might make Les think about what more he could do with his life.

That cat has more ambitions than its owner

yeah sure have your relatives paying for the roof over your head, in reality les would have a tent under the overpass .

To a degree I can relate with Les.

Educated and skilled are not the same thing in the modern world. Even if you’re smarter than someone, it doesn’t make you better than them. Just my 2 cents! ;-)

Things will change when love comes to town for Les (that would be an interesting story). For now, he seems to be totally content with his life. He has an awesome cat, a tv, a bed, a beanbag chair and enough money to get along on. Who can knock that?

Gunther, Les is Happy.

Back off, Gunther! I used to like you, but you’re acting like an elitist prick! Whoever thought that Les would be the good guy in your house?

Les is immediately on the defense with a simple inquiry question. I am glad that Greg is addressing this. It really hits home for me.

Maybe Les wants to be a party poo-pah? d;o)

If Les is content with his path, so be it. If Gunther is happy with his path, so be it. Both paths contribute to the overall good of society and so are worthwhile. Either one would be miserable if required to follow the other’s path.

The dishes aren’t gonna wash themselves!

Even in the highest-quality electro-quantum astrophysical laboratories…, someone has to wash the dishes.

Leslie Knox is dependent on his Uncle Al’s magnanimous support. His mother abandoned him at a orphanage until Uncle Al rescue him.

Leslie Knox is surviving instead of thriving. He was a former thief before.

Mr Knox didn’t graduate from Pitts High School. He should go back and get his diploma?

Believe it or not, I told my students this. Not everyone has to go to college to be both successful and happy. (social pressure said otherwise)

I stumbled into a slightly more remunerative job and never left. Actually got a pension and other investments that allowed me to retire. I imagine The Fuse has some kind of perks for the employees. They are nice people. Les will probably do OK.

Everything impinges on our financial state. It’s called life. That is your juxtaposition.