When I was a child, I looked forward to reading the comic strips in the print newspaper that magically appeared on my front porch each morning. The Sunday edition was my favorite—it was much thicker than the weekday version. It featured local, national, and world news. And it contained some special sections and colorful retail ads tucked inside the front page. My father reached for the Sports section, which include in-depth coverage of the key games and tournaments. My mother enjoyed the Dear Abby advice column and Parade magazine. I absconded with the Sunday funnies. The Sunday comic strips were printed in full color and in a larger format. Similar to a kid digging for the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, I eagerly riffled through the newspaper sections looking for the treasure hidden inside.
Comics evoke laughter and provide entertainment. But (or maybe because) sometimes they hit close to home. Pig-Pen is a character in the long-running Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. He is perpetually dirty and surrounded by a cloud of dust. I thought it was funny…until I had messy boys of my own. The personal dust cloud seems a bit far-fetched, but it wasn’t too far from the truth.
Living close to the beach, the sand can be as much a problem as the dirt. Even if you rinse off bodies and beach toys, the sand seems to follow you home. Our dog is an even worse offender than the grandkids. The beach is Ruby’s happy place. She loves to romp and dig in the sand. She also loves to roll in the sand…repeatedly, until the sand is enmeshed in her wet hair and embedded in her skin. Watch the video below to see Ruby in acrobatic action.
Sometimes books and comic strips resonate with us because they are reminiscent of our own life. Art imitates Life.
