It has happened...

I invited you, Dear Readers, to submit your dramatic intpretations of Mary Worth's monologue, "My Compulsion to Help Others." The challenge has been met, and I'm thrilled to share this remarkable artistic achievement with you. Congratulations, Ben, on such a stupifying accomplishment!

Mary Worth 156

Hey, we got a Two-Fer: Two Platitudes for the Pain of One!

Actually, I'd never accuse Rabbi Kushner of spouting platitudes, but appearing in Mary Worth as it does, it certainly has the feel.

In case you need a few more quotes on kindness to brighten your day, here is Karen Moy's secret source. What would Mary Worth be without Google?

Speaking of two-fers, this was a special treat -- Compare last Sunday's upper right panel, with today's:

It's déjà vu all over again. Haven't I said that before?

Mary Worth 154

Okay, okay, I'm over my sour-puss reaction from yesterday. Fortunately, you, dear readers, picked up my slack with your hilarious comments. I'm not sure why I was so disappointed. This morning's strip made me laugh again. First, it foreshadows Mary's penchant for marrying into wealth, as her mother obviously did.

Second, "something shifted inside?" That's just plain beautiful, man. It explains why Mary appeared to be in such pain during grace.

What a wonderful story this has been!

Mary Worth 153

If you haven't read today's strip, click here. I'm not even going to bother reprinting it.

Now I understand why there was so much build up to this story. She was stalling. I can't say I'm surprised by this turn of events, but I do admit to being massively disappointed... again.

Mary Worth 152

Before today's powerful installment, I just want to say how much I've enjoyed reader comments. There have been some very insightful observations of late. Except for the porno one. That was very un-Mary-Worth-like and has been removed. Now on to the thing that happened that changed Mary's life forever.

Mary obviously feels a tremendous amount of shame when she realizes Cathy's family is worse off than her own, having to eat a pathetic meal of dry sliced bread, potato mash, and boiled grass with nothing but butter knives for utensils. The parents even sacrificed their own two glasses of water for the children's sake and settled for a tea cup half-full of hootch to numb away the pain. And all Mary has done for months is complain about her hunger.

Mary Worth 151

"First, the paintings on the wall and all the furniture began moving around the room, and then the lamp behind me began getting bigger, and bigger and bigger. It scared the living daylights out of me. I never went back to Cathy's spooky house again."

Mary Worth 150

There must be some mysterious and revealing link between how Mary is seated on the Park Bench of Back-Bending Pain and Cathy's dinner table. In the park, legs crossed, she leans precariously against frontal boards, her hip hooked on the narrow ledge holding her upright. At Cathy's home, she somehow holds herself in an upright, seated position by grasping the back of the chair. No wonder she's quiet. The tremendous pressure on her abdomen makes talking impossible.

Mary Worth 145

How can you talk when you're being strangled?

I would think the best thing about drawing a 50-year flashback would be the opportunity to research period architecture and design that would enhance the romantic nostalgia of the story. Based on the house, it appears Joe Giella may not be all that much into research. Or drawing.

Mary Worth 144

Delighting in the insignificant? That's my entire raison d'être. It's why I love Mary Worth! I feel so validated today.

But panel two scares me. I find nothing delightful or insignificant in discovering that Mary Worth and Cathy have Super Breath. It is perhaps one of the most abused and volatile of super powers. How has Mary restrained herself all these years given the temptation to quickly solve all her problems with Super Breath?

I mean, even Superman couldn't control his Super Breath when Wonder Woman got on his nerves.

Mary Worth 143

Because, you see, Cathy was blind. Which made her really bad at hide and seek.