For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 24, 2022

John wants to punish Michael so badly, he seems to have forgotten that the real reason he let Michael go was because his back hurt too much for him to drive Elizabeth to her practice. If I were Michael, I would go back to the ice skating rink and pick up Elizabeth and Dawn to bring them home, and then pretend to his father taking them home from their practice was his reason for not coming home when expected.

You have to trust them at least once. If they do well then maybe you can trust them again someday.

If they let you down, then you’ve learned how it is and that will prove to be their loss. Trust once torn apart can take a LONG time to mend….if ever. Words to live by.

Michael made a mistake. He still has a path out to retain trust. If he had screwed-up intentionally then that path would be a dead end. Make no mistake.

Sorry, John, but you knew it would happen. You went wild yourself a few years ago, and so did just about every kid who first had access to a car.

There’s this rule of living I have: “Don’t do things that you know perfectly well you’re probably gona end up regretting deeply.”

John doesn’t even consider that Michael might be hurt in an accident.

All he thinks about is that goddam car!!

Saint Michael can’t be trusted. Next time call a taxi.

I don’t think he wants to punish Michael, he is so scared that something happened to him.

Few things help you fight through the pain like anger, but fear does pretty good too.

Good for John for being optimistic!

He knew something could happen. If he knew it would happen he would not have been unpleasantly surprised.

If Michael ever gets home and does lie to his dad, there is always the odometer to check. (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) Don’t lie when it can be proven you certainly did lie!

since the 18th we’ve seen its nighttime, and the baby is just now getting home. Isn’t it way past her bedtime?

So your answer is to lie?

Very true. All the times I called my daughter when she was late coming home, she knew in trouble.

Mike thought he’d found the right road until everybody started speaking French.

Elly does not know where her son is? What a dingbat! She saw him yesterday with her own eyes. He was playing video games.

Or Michael might be in a jail cell by now. No teenager can afford a car like John’s. If Michael is spotted by the police driving anything of superior quality to a Ford Pinto or busted Toyota Tercel, bad news. They are going to assume he stole the sports car.