Famous All Over Town

I will never forget the June afternoon I was driving up Lamar Blvd. and spotted a middle aged man with a beard in a bikini and pumps dragging a cart along the side of the road. I consciously thought, “Now I’ve seen everything. And maybe more than I wanted to see.”

I didn’t know it then, but a local celebrity was having his debut.

He was homeless, and his name was Leslie, I found out later. A nice, ambiguous name for a cross-dresser with a beard. (Remember Leslie Howard from “Gone With the Wind”?)

He slowly became a living legend in Austin, known as much for his affability as his uniqueness. He was fixture downtown, trading on his burgeoning celebrity for drinks. I know I bought him a few, at least.

And he was never shy to pose for a photograph. Most of the time, he loved it.

That has all changed over the weekend. He suffered a head wound that left him in a vegetative state. He’s conscious now, but will have to go to an assisted-living facility, most likely. The outlook was much more dire yesterday.

I know all this because it’s in the paper. How a homeless man in a thong can get major local coverage is a good measure of his celebrity. I’m pulling for him, as is my partner.

We both are acquainted with him, but he probably wouldn’t recognize my name. He might recognize my face, but that’s about it.

Still, I care. I’m not sure Austin would be Austin without him.