Lasagna Lessons

More sad cat but without the cat
Generally, I'd say looking at Garfield minus Garfield is a bad idea if you're already feeling kind of sad, but for some reason Jon Arbuckle's misery makes unhappiness seem abstract and, well, temporary.
It's like putting an absurd face on phases we all go through: self doubt, insecurity, loneliness, general malaise. There's nothing that Jon goes through that I haven't felt at some time (or feel a little now), but when I'm relating to something really so pathetic, it has the effect of making me feel like it's inevitable to rise from the funk... like any small action can break the spell. I feel like Jon is telling me "These are joke emotions. Put a banana in your ear and you'll feel better." I think that's good advice.

It makes me feel empathetic, too. Sadness is universal - that's why Garfield is popular.

(I'm as surprised as you that I'd be touched by a gimmicky Garfield website.)

Another piece of advice I got recently came from my mom. She's usually harsh with advice ("always keep your own money, because you never know what your husband will do with his," "a Wonderbra will fix it," etc.) , but in response to my Chinese horoscope that I wouldn't find anyone I could be happy with, she told me "Love is like having life-threatening cancer. You just never know what will happen. You need to take it a day at a time. So don't sweat it." I think she might have read that in a magazine somewhere (maybe the same magazine that damn horoscope came from), but the sentiment is the same. I think I like it better than "Love dies." Even if it does compare love to cancer.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]