Letters to the Editor
softdog
Published Letters: 186 Editor's Choice: 8
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Good Writing Does Not Make For a Hot Ex
[Read the article: I have guilty knowledge about my girlfriend]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The ex is playful, articulate, brilliant. And although I understand why their relationship failed, feel my girlfriend's love for me, and see why ultimately we are much better for each other than they ever were, for the first time in my life, I've started to feel mediocre, safe, boring. I fear that I do not possess the qualities that made my girlfriend so happy in the past.
Dude, that is how he appears in print. It's easy to play the role of troubled genius when writing about the past, to cultivate a badass personality with mere words in a blog, but far harder to carry it off in reality and present tense.
You don't know how this guy is in the flesh, or even how much effort he puts into maintaining his facade. Here you are intimidated by someone who may just be an everyday asshole with good writing style.
Anyone who has dated online can tell you strong writing is a poor indicator of an attractive reality. Even a hot photo can deceive. Many times the level of charisma on a blog is the opposite of reality.
It seems to me the hangups about the ex are actually a reflection of being uncertain about your own standing with her. It may be this is a way to justify general insecurity, or an excuse if things don't work. You may be interpreting her past as a dirty secret as a way to gain an upper hand in your mind. You need to deal with these feelings before the "bad omen" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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Wonder about the Reality Behind the cheap shot
[Read the article: WayLay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I liked most of the strip, except the part with the shallow woman. I assume this woman is based on a real, specific individual and not a fictional composite of a type.
I wonder when I read such strong potshots directed at real yet unnamed colleagues - and the young woman is a colleague, shallow or not.
It's not like an anecdote of a random stranger who can be spared by some identity concealment. It's aimed at a specific community member in an identifiable place and time.
Was the woman really as shallow, fame hungry, stupid and boobtastic as Lay portrays her? Or is this a fantasy exaggerated by Lay's irritation (and possible envy or resentment)?
I'm left wanting to know the real identity of this young woman, and to hear her side. I suspect she might just be young and overeager, not dumb, oversexed or venal. More importantly, how does she feel about such a nasty attack?
Most professional cartoonists either support their younger peers (even if they make fun) or say nothing about them. They don't make cheap shots with thinly veiled identities. Remind me not to get near Carol at a convention.