Lynn's Comments: I wrote a love letter to a boy in grade 8, and later, I saw him showing it to his friends. They were standing by the goalpost on the field laughing. I thought I would die.
Lynn's Comments: After I’d made some pretty sarcastic remarks, my dad asked me if I lay awake at night thinking of nasty things to say. I didn’t, but it was a great idea. After that, I did lie awake thinking of smart aleck remarks—my way of getting back at "the big kids." After awhile, I got pretty good at it and words were my weapon of choice. Sometimes they outlasted a bruising.
Lynn's Comments: I had a lot of fun with Michael and Martha. Through them I went back to my own giddy and hopeless schoolyard relationships—the ones that make you as high as a kite, but never quite get off the ground!
Lynn's Comments: Interesting to see the word "like" becoming an essential and repetitive part of a kids’ vernacular. This strip was done in the 80s! I had no idea "like" had been so annoying for so long.
Lynn's Comments: I confess…I have purchased my share of dumb, gross, stupid and downright insulting greeting cards. My philosophy is: "If it’s funny, it’s fine."
Lynn's Comments: I remember being a go-between for a girlfriend and the guy she liked. I remember wondering what in the world she saw in him. We were in third grade and already she was talking about marriage. With memories like this, I don't dismiss the thoughts and feelings of "little kids." You're never too young or too old to fall in love!
Lynn's Comments: When the "Mike and Martha" series was running for the first time, my son was being asked at school who the heck Martha was. He told everyone there was no Martha and that his mother had just made her up. Nobody believed him—even though they were with him every day and could see that Martha didn't exist. Strange how closely my kids were compared to the kids in the strip—even though I had changed their ages, their names and their circumstances.
Lynn's Comments: I was good at this…both range and direction. When I was in school, the boys weren't the only ones getting detentions for causing trouble!