For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 02, 2022

It all depends on your perspective

Wise words from an Ethiopian-Canadian immigrant.

Amen!

Lest we forget.

That was an unexpected comic. Very true. Here I am, with my safe, comfy, warm bed…and food to eat, my health, and living with a person I adore who also loves me. We take these things for granted, a lot of us…and don’t always think of how so many people around the world do not have these basic things. Have a good 2022, other fortunate people. I wish I could wave a magic wand and give the same things to everyone.

Count your blessings.

Considering this comic strip was published in 1993, I suspect the cab driver is referring to the overthrow of the Communist People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1991, since the cab driver is talking about something that happened prior to 1993.

Magnificent!

Almost word for word from my Armenian taxi driver about 45 years ago.

Thank You Lynn!

Boy, does this ever take me back. I remember being in Nashville for a shortwave radio convention about a dozen years ago and rode in cabs much of the time. One morning, I had a driver who was from Ethiopia and he told me how he came to the States and his story was similar to what John’s driver said.

I rarely made more than enough money to pay bills working in radio, but had a greater appreciation of what I DID have after that ride. After living in Asia the past two years and seeing poverty that would be unthinkable in the USA, I appreciate what I have even more.

“It’s a very good day for m……YIII! "(Taxi skids on ice into a parked car…).

“Sir,….. nevermind. Have a better day.”

.

Jokes aside, count your blessings that you do not live in one of those nations. If you do, my deepest condolences. May you find better sooner than later.

Joe Biden should read this and remember the Americans still trapped in Afghanistan. Happy new year to them – if they are still alive. He does not care.

I remember this particular episode when it originally aired! It’s touching.

I puddled up. We are so arrogant. Brought me back to my heart

What does it say about the John character to address the driver as “Boy”?

When I think about the people in KY and CO and CA who have experienced tornadoes and fires and destruction of their lives, I don’t feel so bad about mine.

Lynn’s Comments:

This is word-for-word from an experience I had while working on animated shows. I got a taxi to the animation studio and met this incredible young man whose outlook on life really resonated with me. Sometime later, a friend, whose life was very up and down, was going through a hard time so I wanted to give her some original art as a gift. I asked which strip she would like and she chose this one.

Lessons can be learned in the most unexpected places. “There but for the grace of God, go I.” is more profound than one might think.

Ding-ding-ding-ding.

And there’s another civil war in Ethiopia.

a very good reminder that the immigrants some want to demonize are a lot stronger, braver and tougher than many of us native born Americans. Being more grateful is nota bad way to begin a new year.

Nice sentiment. May we continue to offer sanctuary to those who need it (no political comments, please! And I know they’re Canadian).

“Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama please, it’s Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size”….

I hope he earns enough to bring his wife and child over.

RIP, Betty White.

Sad stories tend to garner better tips. All the ethnic cab drivers have one.

A great immigrant story! The land of hope!

The sad part is this was first published in 1993 and almost 30 years later things have not improved for people in Ethiopia and many other places.

Perspective.

Why don’t these Canadians in the strips ever wear a hat in a Canadian winter?

There are strips like this that I truly appreciate because Lynn takes the time to point out a universal truth.

I feel small for the things I whinge about.

Unfortunately, all these years after this was first published, Ethiopia is once again in upheaval and civil war.

Lynn’s (Cartoonist) Comments for today’s strip: This is word-for-word from an experience I had while working on animated shows. I got a taxi to the animation studio and met this incredible young man whose outlook on life really resonated with me. Sometime later, a friend, whose life was very up and down, was going through a hard time so I wanted to give her some original art as a gift. I asked which strip she would like and she chose this one.

Good reminder for us all…..

A little over 100 years ago, just before the end of the first World War, my Great Grandmother, who was pregnant with my grandfather, and her 2 daughters fled from Yugoslavia. Her husband was arrested for taking part in the plot to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand. They had nothing, but my “Baba” did her very best. My Deda (grandfather) had to quit school after 3rd grade so he could help earn money for the family. But neither my Baba nor my Deda ever regretted their lives. My Baba bought an A&W franchise in Florida, my Deda became a paratrooper in WW2, where he met my Oma, and my 2 Great Aunts married good men and had 7 children between them. This comic just brought back my memories of Baba and Deda and how they appreciated life and never took it for granted.

I’d give that guy are really big tip.

Every day you are alive is a good day.

That is what America is all about – IF he came here legally. Apparantly there are those who think we have a magic wand that we can wave for the entire world to come here… and WE will pay for that ‘magic’ wand. Sorry, but that isn’t how it goes and while they have tried, I do hope 2022 is when it stops and we go back a law abiding Republic.

Cartoon very appropriate! In the first year after the Vietnam War over 150,000 Vietnamese resettled in US. By 2010, nearly 1.5 million overseas Vietnamese, now referred to as Viet Kieu, were resettled in the US. Additionally about 400,000 Hmong et al mountain people fighting with Army Special Forces in Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia resettled in the United States. We have senior NCO and officers at every rank from the exodus now serving in the US Military, many graduates of the Service Academies and in many professions. BTW, it was Veterans that made that happen, same as now, not generals and politicians who created an evacuation disaster in Afghanistan. Orders by senior military also left over 4,000 war dogs to be eaten in Vietnam. (about 800 smuggled into US with complicity by soldiers, air force and commercial airline crews, and US Customs with a middle finger salute to the Pentagon). Reportedly all US Military war dogs were evacuated with our military forces from Afghanistan after demands by Veterans. We now have over 3 million new, not Afghan, not vaccinated, “refugees” “dumped” throughout the United States with no screening, no plan, by an absolutely ignorant federal government run by fools. My apologies for the rant, I feel strongly about the subject. Arf

Shadow? Truer words were never spoken.

Reminds me of my business trips to Minneapolis. The city has a large Somali population and I’ve had quite a few wonderful conversations with my Uber drivers on the ride between the airport and the city.

Old comic, but there’s another civil war currently underway in Ethiopia. The more things change. . .

Yep so true

Depends on the P.O.V. as to what makes a day good or bad … but the point was made, and it’s a good day … :)

My niece’s and her family’s house was one of those that burned down in the fires in Colorado. It really sucks! Right after Christmas and a bad way to start a new year. They, fortunately were warned and got out a day before.

Today’s comic really speaks truth.

A timely rerun, since there’s another war raging in Ethiopia now.

Several years ago I read “Out of America – a Black Man Confronts Africa.” Black Washington Post reporter Keith Richburg wangled a 3 year posting to Africa after several years covering Southeast Asia. He wanted to learn why Africa and Asia, resource rich areas, went such different ways after WW2. SPOILER: in Asia leaders made potential rivals rich but not as rich as themselves; in Africa leaders sought and held power by denying resources to potential rivals. That left Asia with cash for infrastructure and making the people happy enough to obey, and left Africa with amounts of cash that could be hoarded to secure power and left rank and file people with too little money to make trouble.

And this strip is as true now as it is when it was first published. Really makes you think, doesn’t it?

this one put a tear in my eye.

I’ve been some places in the world that are pretty scary.

We don’t expect comics to be profound. That was profound. I hope we are paying attention

AMEN !!! We should ALL appreciate what we have.

Darn it – why do you have to ruin a perfectly good complaint by putting it in perspective?

Very true :’(

I’ll bet John gave him an excellent tip. I know I would have done so.

Open mouth, insert foot, John.

Thank God for America

Perspective.

bad start for us. All our bank accounts got hacked on Xmas eve.

The millennials who have been rioting in Portland and other places all around the USA really don’t know just how good they have it in North America.

“I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”

https://youtu.be/bjQzJAKxTrE

“I have a wife I haven’t seen in 3 years and a 1 year old child I have never seen.”

Amen to that. Count your blessings, every day.

This is one of my most favorite panels of this comic. So very, very true