Something to be Desired

...and then it hit me.

Oh, hello there. You caught me in the middle of a thought. My friend had said something that I took as a negative comment --"Your cartoons leave something to be desired"--and I proceeded to make decisions (regarding my cartoons) based on the undeniable, irrefutable FACT that my drawings sucked. One person said so, so it must be true. I deleted them from my blog and they didn't make it into my last book I Got Out of Bed for Sesame Street...and then a lightbulb turned on in my head; possibly I misunderstood my friend.  Maybe she didn't dislike my cartoons after all.

We Americans like to use figurative instead of literal terms, such as metaphors, cliques and nonsensical collections of words to communicate. I do it all the time. Can you catch someone in the middle of a thought? How do you take a negative comment? Can drawings suck and thoughts hit? And what about those lightbulbs turning on and off in our head?

See what I mean? Communication can be confusing. And with most communication these days being done via emails and texts, the possibility for misunderstanding increases. When Tom asked his son, Michael, if he wanted to go to dinner with us and he said "I'm down with that,"  I interpreted that statement as "I would rather eat worms than have dinner with the two of you." Maybe it's just me but doesn't "I'm down with that" seem like a negative thing to say? Wouldn't "I'm up with that" make more sense? Doesn't that sound more positive? Oh, never mind. Let''s get back to my friend and her comment, "Your cartoons leave something to be desired." 

It's up to me to accept or reject those negative thoughts that cause me to doubt myself, and right now I choose to reject that pesky little demon that has plagued me for years: doubt. No more doubt. Nope! No way, Jose. Doubt be gone. Doubt not welcome here. My friend likes my cartoons; they leave her with desire, and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.