The Debate

I'm having a hard time allowing myself to be light and whimsical. Perhaps I should listen to less BBC podcasts. A voice in my head asks, "How can you write such drivel when there are people like Neda dying in Iran? Can you imagine what some people are enduring right now in Zimbabwe as you sit in your air conditioned home and pontificate imaginary cases of Club Lamb Fungus?"

And then another voice (there are several) says, "Yes! That is exactly WHY you must create the diversion from the stress. That is what comics are all about. They are the split second break from real life that enables people to take a breath and get back into the fight."

"Are you really that self important, cartoonist?" chides voice #3. (Man I can't stand this one. It’s the same voice that suggests I buy the moldy strawberries because the ripe ones deserve to be eaten by classier people.)

Voice #2: "It's not a matter of self importance, it's a matter of understanding the point of your craft. It's a matter of realizing that your art serves a purpose."

Voice #3: "Oh brother. We are talking about cartoons!"

Voice #4: "If they are so meaningless, then why are they so popular?"

Voice #1: "Escapism! People are avoiding reality because it's hard and they want easy."

Voice #3: "Seriously. Haiku Ewe is about as important to the human condition as a knock-off Prada bag."

Voice #13: "My toenails are painted green!"

Voice #6: “Ya know, life in the US is a lot harder than we get credit for. We aren’t all fat, lazy Paris Hilton fans. Some of us care and work hard to help others.”

Voice #5: “Totally. The economy has us all terrified for our careers and houses. Everything I have worked so hard to build might come crashing down. Oh who am I kidding. I can’t even afford a house. And my hand is messed up. My life stinks!”

Voice #1: “Who cares if you can afford a house if the government bombs it!”

Voice #4: “Weren’t we debating the importance of cartoons?”

Voice #3: “More evidence to support my ongoing hypothesis that you are an easily distracted moron.”

Voice #2: “Aw that’s not very nice. You are great the way you are.”

Voice #3: “Look over there! A puppy!”

Voice #13: “What?! Yay!! Where?!”

Voice #3: “I rest my case.”

Voice #5: “Man, that is so unfair. I hate it when you do that.”

Voice #7: “All right! That’s enough! Voices 1-3, 5, and 13 zip it. Cartoons are good. People need to laugh. There is a time and a place for activism. That time and place is not Haiku Ewe. Let’s move on.”

Voice #13: “May I say something?”

Voice #7: (glare)

Voice #13: “I’m hungry.”