It’s all so easy when you don’t know how hard it is. That’s everything when you’re a kid. You can say you’re going to be president or walk on the moon.
Shannon will probably be bored after a few minutes of trying to write a book. Most hyperactive children tend to have “short” attention spans unless it is an activity they really enjoy and sitting still for any period is not – and Shannon seems to be quite hyperactive.
I may be wrong, but this arc could be more about Bernice than Shannon. Shannon’s hyperactivity and, potentially jumping from one thing to another, could be a lesson in Bernice doesn’t know how to deal with that type of child or, possibly, children in general. Could that also be the real reason she didn’t stay at parents’ house because her brother brought his children?
Seems as though Luann should have a desk in her room, instead of using the kitchen table. Perhaps she has items there that need protection from Shannon’s curiosity.
Luann’s last comment has parents feeling seen from all the people who never had to raise kids, but know EXACTLY how much better they would be if they had to.
I deluded myself for a strip hoping that Bernice might have some ability to help others. Instead the idea of having Shannon write a book was because she was hoping that the writing student Luann would take care of her? Even though she knows her BFF is busy working on a paper to finish!? Despicable! I’m glad Shannon isn’t letting her go. What a difference between Luann’s genuine happiness at seeing that Shannon wants to make a book and Bernice’s behaviour.
How hard would it be to say “No, you don’t need ALL the paper”? And then explain about being selfish and other people maybe needing some of it. Someone like Luann, who might have to print that school assignment she’s working on (although I think many professors accept electronic submissions now days).
One of my acquaintances wrote screen plays and “Tales of the Crypt” for years, never hit big. His brother – one screen play, got bought, made into a movie, set for life.
I want to report a news I read on Facebook, Cartoonist Jay Fosgitt will be a guest artist for the strip. He already has drawn a two-week arc starting June 24. He wrote a beautiful post telling how he considered Greg Evans his mentor and how he met him in 1998, when he was a student who dreamed of becoming a comics artist and Greg was the only professional author to respond and encourage him. No idea what the arc will be about, given the date, I hypothesize that it could be about summer holidays.
I love how Bernice took Shannon ostensibly to give Luann an opportunity to work on her assignment, but mere minutes later is trying to dump the kid back onto her.
Bern is being less than helpful here. She is supposed to be watching Shannon so Luann can write her paper, and then convinces her to do something quiet and creative like write a book, which is great, but then wants to have Luann help her, which defeats the whole purpose. Fortunately Shannon is brighter than Bern.
Shannon could probably teach Luann a thing or two about creative writing here. Let’s remember that Shannon comes up with imaginary scenarios at the drop of a hat. Conversely, literally every single story Luann has written was just a straight retelling of an event that took place in either her life, or the life of someone she knows. She is utterly incapable of inventing something from scratch.
Luann is showing she would be a great teacher. She is interacting With Shannon, asking what her book will be about and commenting on the size of it (while not flipping out about how much paper will be used).
Luann the sage, Luann the philosopher, Luann the only one in the room who knows how to manage a little kid. Genius writing in this continuous storyline. Makes me smile !
The thing bout Shannon… not only does she talk like a brat but her expression always looks evil. Remember the old movie Children of the Corn? That’s Shannon.
all this paper but no writing, the cart before the horse; What is Shannon going to put down on those pieces of paper? I’m guessing she may draw on them….
People here don’t have much patience with Shannon. I don’t see what she is doing wrong because she isn’t doing anything wrong. I’m a grandma, and she would get along fine with my grandchildren who are about her age. They are creative and live in a land of make believe, too. Their screen time is limited, so they play.
Help her with the project, Bernice. It will keep her quiet and out of trouble and harness that ebullient imagination in an acceptable way. Writing her own book is a great idea!
J. Scarbrough 6 months ago
“I hate writing. I love having written.”
Yuban333 6 months ago
Watch, she’ll psychoanalyse what she writes and draws.
Mordock999 Premium Member 6 months ago
LOL! Nice try Bernice.
live2read 6 months ago
Doesn’t anyone ever give Shannon orders? Since when does she get to tell adults what to do?
Wait. Don’t answer that.
Joe1962 6 months ago
Bernice at least you tried.
Namrepus 6 months ago
It’s all so easy when you don’t know how hard it is. That’s everything when you’re a kid. You can say you’re going to be president or walk on the moon.
BlitzMcD 6 months ago
A lot of truth in that final comment. Those who get it done often do so because no one told them that they can’t do it.
Last Rose Of Summer Premium Member 6 months ago
I take it that Bern won’t be experiencing the joy of motherhood anytime soon….or ever?
lvlax 6 months ago
So will this be the new novelette idea? 6 yr old Shannon’s book with lots of pictures?
Depending what she wrote about.. could be fun.
RabbitHole 6 months ago
Shannon will probably be bored after a few minutes of trying to write a book. Most hyperactive children tend to have “short” attention spans unless it is an activity they really enjoy and sitting still for any period is not – and Shannon seems to be quite hyperactive.
I may be wrong, but this arc could be more about Bernice than Shannon. Shannon’s hyperactivity and, potentially jumping from one thing to another, could be a lesson in Bernice doesn’t know how to deal with that type of child or, possibly, children in general. Could that also be the real reason she didn’t stay at parents’ house because her brother brought his children?
BabyBlue 6 months ago
I like Shannon. She’s had it tough. Let her enjoy her imagination and her childhood, it will be over soon enough.
Bernice is an old grouch. Play with the child for 20 minutes, geez.
snsurone76 6 months ago
Is that the paper for Luann’s printer? If so—hoo boy! Is Shannon gonna get it!!
snsurone76 6 months ago
Maybe this experience will finally convince Bernice to move back home. Hopefully, her mooching relatives have been evicted.
emiesty Premium Member 6 months ago
Seems as though Luann should have a desk in her room, instead of using the kitchen table. Perhaps she has items there that need protection from Shannon’s curiosity.
kenhense 6 months ago
Yes – Writing is very easy when you think everything you wrote is really good.
JonGoss 6 months ago
Luann’s last comment has parents feeling seen from all the people who never had to raise kids, but know EXACTLY how much better they would be if they had to.
Rockabore 6 months ago
Yeah, as a writer… it does feel like that doesn’t it? When you’re a kid writing you’ve had less to seriously compare yourself to.
mort b. 6 months ago
Bring the scissors Bern, and dare her to run really fast around the house with them.
Wilkins068 6 months ago
Sooo it went from ‘Aunt Bernie’ to just ‘Bernie’ now.
Yeah number them pages Bernie. If you’re lucky, you cn do border art an become ‘Bernie – o Aragones’
rheddmobile 6 months ago
Love the way she can’t even help her friend for ten seconds without trying to foist the child back off on her.
French Persons Premium Member 6 months ago
Panel 3: Probably the most intelligent and insightful thing Luann has ever said. Is there at least half a brain in her head after all?
OneTime59 6 months ago
Shannon putting Bernice’s organizing and bookkeeping skills to use.
JonnyT 6 months ago
Mouths off to the adults, grabs an entire ream of paper which she’ll likely draw all over. How cute?
LawrenceS 6 months ago
No job is too difficult for the person who doesn’t have to do it.
sueb1863 6 months ago
Bernice, Luann is trying to finish a paper, she doesn’t have time to play with Shannon. That’s what you’re supposed to be doing.
limarick 6 months ago
Luann’s last statement just might be the most profound thing she has said in this strip.
basspro 6 months ago
I know how “Hard” it is and now she knows it as well.
Ellis97 6 months ago
I’m writing a book myself. I’ve been working on it for months.
Count Olaf Premium Member 6 months ago
Ohhhhhh… We need a lotta Ann❤️Eiffel…Right this very minute… We need a lotta Ann❤️Eiffel NOW!
Aladar30 Premium Member 6 months ago
I deluded myself for a strip hoping that Bernice might have some ability to help others. Instead the idea of having Shannon write a book was because she was hoping that the writing student Luann would take care of her? Even though she knows her BFF is busy working on a paper to finish!? Despicable! I’m glad Shannon isn’t letting her go. What a difference between Luann’s genuine happiness at seeing that Shannon wants to make a book and Bernice’s behaviour.
David Huie Green LoveJoyAndPeace 6 months ago
Imperfection is easy. Perfection is impossible. I fall somewhere in between.
(CLOSE to perfection, though, of course.)
comic reader 22 6 months ago
How hard would it be to say “No, you don’t need ALL the paper”? And then explain about being selfish and other people maybe needing some of it. Someone like Luann, who might have to print that school assignment she’s working on (although I think many professors accept electronic submissions now days).
Uncle Bob 6 months ago
I like Luann’s quote in the last panel…
calliarcale 6 months ago
TRUTH. Everything’s easy when you don’t know how hard it is.
david_42 6 months ago
One of my acquaintances wrote screen plays and “Tales of the Crypt” for years, never hit big. His brother – one screen play, got bought, made into a movie, set for life.
Wichita1.0 6 months ago
Writing is the easy part. EDITING 700+ pages is the torture!!
ekw555 6 months ago
I remember when there was paper in my house.
w16521 6 months ago
Well at least Bernice doesn’t have to wear that pot on her head anymore.
leighabc123 6 months ago
Shannon has a valid point. By the age of 19, Luann should know how to write!
Aladar30 Premium Member 6 months ago
I want to report a news I read on Facebook, Cartoonist Jay Fosgitt will be a guest artist for the strip. He already has drawn a two-week arc starting June 24. He wrote a beautiful post telling how he considered Greg Evans his mentor and how he met him in 1998, when he was a student who dreamed of becoming a comics artist and Greg was the only professional author to respond and encourage him. No idea what the arc will be about, given the date, I hypothesize that it could be about summer holidays.
Angry Indeed Premium Member 6 months ago
You tell her, Luann.
nightflight 6 months ago
Besides Nancy, Frank, and Puddles, are there any likable characters left in this strip?
mindjob 6 months ago
Numbering, dating and signing pages and pages of data of validation studies for Pharma companies is a painful memory
Prescott_Philosopher 6 months ago
Wait a minute! LuAnn is now giving a sage advice?
BJShipley1 6 months ago
I love how Bernice took Shannon ostensibly to give Luann an opportunity to work on her assignment, but mere minutes later is trying to dump the kid back onto her.
roberta.forbes.pyle 6 months ago
If she’s sitting there writing a book (with pictures) she’s presumably not getting into trouble!
sid w 6 months ago
Bern is being less than helpful here. She is supposed to be watching Shannon so Luann can write her paper, and then convinces her to do something quiet and creative like write a book, which is great, but then wants to have Luann help her, which defeats the whole purpose. Fortunately Shannon is brighter than Bern.
BJShipley1 6 months ago
Shannon could probably teach Luann a thing or two about creative writing here. Let’s remember that Shannon comes up with imaginary scenarios at the drop of a hat. Conversely, literally every single story Luann has written was just a straight retelling of an event that took place in either her life, or the life of someone she knows. She is utterly incapable of inventing something from scratch.
Caldonia 6 months ago
Frank won’t be happy about the missing paper. Why doesn’t Bernice tell Shannon she doesn’t need nearly so much? Or Luann?
denirwin Premium Member 6 months ago
Luann is showing she would be a great teacher. She is interacting With Shannon, asking what her book will be about and commenting on the size of it (while not flipping out about how much paper will be used).
Caldonia 6 months ago
Besides that, Bernice is trying to foist the kid back onto Luann. Nice try!
paldec 6 months ago
Having Bernice watch her was Shannon’s idea, not Bernice’s or Luann’s. I agree B could have done it to help L.
lnrokr55 6 months ago
Luann the sage, Luann the philosopher, Luann the only one in the room who knows how to manage a little kid. Genius writing in this continuous storyline. Makes me smile !
BluNova 6 months ago
And Bernice tries to pawn Shannon off onto Luann who’s busy. Nice.
sallymargret 6 months ago
This kid needs discipline and boundaries.
The Quiet One 6 months ago
If and when you ever get your degree in Psychiatry I hope you are more supportive than this Bernice.
ChattyFran 6 months ago
The thing bout Shannon… not only does she talk like a brat but her expression always looks evil. Remember the old movie Children of the Corn? That’s Shannon.
RSH 6 months ago
all this paper but no writing, the cart before the horse; What is Shannon going to put down on those pieces of paper? I’m guessing she may draw on them….
eddi-TBH 6 months ago
True words Lu, true words.
Willow Mt Lyon 6 months ago
People here don’t have much patience with Shannon. I don’t see what she is doing wrong because she isn’t doing anything wrong. I’m a grandma, and she would get along fine with my grandchildren who are about her age. They are creative and live in a land of make believe, too. Their screen time is limited, so they play.
eladee AKA Wally 6 months ago
Help her with the project, Bernice. It will keep her quiet and out of trouble and harness that ebullient imagination in an acceptable way. Writing her own book is a great idea!
fourteenpeeves 6 months ago
The old maid with the glasses will NEVER have kids