I had posted this earlier in my blogging days…..but I felt it worthy of putting out there again. I hope you agree.
For as much as I voraciously ingest the written word in novels and short stories, the true expression of human (and stuffed tiger) nature is emphatically represented in the cartoon series of Calvin and Hobbes. A precocious 5-year old child with the sharp wit and mental fortitude of an adult can sum up in well constructed lines of illustration, what I strive to achieve in five or more pages of sheer pontificating.
It’s okay to share your feelings.
It’s okay to have an opinion and stand behind it.
It’s okay to dance like nobody is watching.
It’s okay to stretch the boundaries of creativity and individuality and be your authentic self.
And most importantly, it is imperative that you take the time to enjoy your life.
The true mark of who we are as a person, is that we put faith in everything that makes us who we are. Not everyone will understand every nuance of our being, but the precious few that take the time to realize what makes us special, carve that deep place into the recesses of our hearts and solidify their presence in our existence.
We spend so much time worrying about what other people think and waste those precious hours and minutes being concerned about other people’s opinions instead relying on our own opinion. With a few shaded lines and some more than realistic dialogue, the rich imagination of Bill Watterson has seeped into the hearts and minds of many fans, leaving with them the curiosity and keen sense of imagination that Calvin represents.
Inside us all still lurks the wonder of our inner child, the honest feelings we are afraid to show and the sincere desire to be exactly who we are without putting up a false front. Perhaps we need to create a new story line for ourselves. Cartoons have the innate ability to be re-drawn until they portray the feeling of the illustrator. What we fail to recognize is that we are our own illustrator. We can edit our sketch to truly reflect what we want to convey.
Be your own Calvin. Don’t let your imagination be diminished by other’s reality. Be true to yourself, stand by your opinions, and embrace the relationships that you find important, even if others think that they are frivolous. You only have one life to live and nobody else can live it for you. Enjoy every moment!
(All images courtesy of Bill Watterson via Google)
And there’s always time for a game of calvin-ball!
(I’m reading the collected Bloom County now.)
Words to live by – never play the game the same way twice!!
loved these guys
I have most of the anthologies….so good!!
Fantastic – now I have my boost of inspiration for the day, Thank you!
They are very inspiring!
Very well said, Susan. I especially loved the last paragraph. Insightful, thoughtful and heartfelt — Much like Calvin and Hobbs themselves
You’ve obviously taken their message to heart. Thanks for passing it on.
Thanks for the comment, Ned. Have a great weekend.
Thanks — You too!
Loved it!
And loved them. They instilled a sense of imagination in me.
There is this site which has tried to continue these comics. It’s kind of like a tribute. People have been very critical but I think it’s worth a dekko.
http://www.pantsareoverrated.com/archive/2011/10/11/hobbes-and-bacon-03-2/
I’ll have to have a look….thanks for that!
100 likes!! I love Calvin and Hobbes – for so many reasons… including all the ones you pointed out in your righteous post!
We must be sisters from another mister!!
Damn straight. I remember when my son started reading Calvin and Hobbes around 4 yrs old… and he has taken every one of my books and read them to shreds. I love it!
I pull out the anthologies every now and then and have a good read….I love them!!
Always keep copies in the bathroom… I have a bookshelf in the bathroom ~ hee hee… it’s when I can actually get peace and quite (well, not always but sometimes).
I see some wine and C&H in my near future.
Love those little guys!