Commentary from February 9, 2016
Starting things takes a lot of energy. So does finishing things. Often I’ve found myself trapped, having expended the energy to begin something I can’t finish. For example, in this comic, getting out of the shower. I’ve run out of gas and I can’t finish this one simple task.
I initially used the words “spoons” in the comic, but I took it out because it’s still not common vernacular yet. I used it in passing in a recent comic and I got question marks back. I’m starting not to like the word spoons because it isn’t really intuitive what it represents until someone tells you, while words like “energy” and “gas” still get the point across.
This comic is a special marker for me. At 276 strips, it’s now my longest running comic. Also, when I posted this on the depressioncomix twitter account, it got over 70 likes, the highest any of my work has gotten on Twitter.
I initially used the words “spoons” in the comic, but I took it out because it’s still not common vernacular yet. I used it in passing in a recent comic and I got question marks back. I’m starting not to like the word spoons because it isn’t really intuitive what it represents until someone tells you, while words like “energy” and “gas” still get the point across.
This comic is a special marker for me. At 276 strips, it’s now my longest running comic. Also, when I posted this on the depressioncomix twitter account, it got over 70 likes, the highest any of my work has gotten on Twitter.
That’s me. 115p ad just had a shower. Been up since 7a. “I have no where to go today, why bother?” and all that.
Once I got trapped in the bus. I made the complete circuit for three times and almost a half. The driver told me nothing, but sure he thought I was crazy. That feeling helped me a little to go out, I must say. Also made me feel worse.
It seems there’s really no place to just stay, just stop to hang on alive but bed.
Anyway, there’s sense of humour in this strip and that is so… Thanks so much.
Oh man, I relate so much to this. And this comic doesn’t even mention how washing up is a huge effort in itself. There’s a reason why I dread going in the shower sometimes. It can be the exact opposite of relaxing.
I thought I was the only one who went through this every day. I don’t want to go in the shower, then I don’t want to come out. I have to push myself.
This kind of stopped for me when I moved to a place with only about 30 minutes’ worth of hot water in the tank in the basement. Cold water chases me out of the shower effectively – like an external motivator. With the flow heater, I had showers for hours.
Not so many comments here, and all those that are posted involve people talking about themseleves. How would the man in the shower feel? Like, does no-one want to try and reach out and help him?
I think many of the posters here use the comics to think about and reflect about their own situation, which is totally OK by me and I encourage it. If no one has empathy for a cartoon character, well, it is a cartoon character after all, they don’t exactly require empathy.
You know I thought of this strip today when I was stuck in my car. I had finally, after days of “I should” and “I really, really should”, gathered enough strength to go to the grocery store. And I felt so accomplished when I realized that I had done it. I had managed to leave the house, go to the supermarket, gather food in my cart, pay, load everything in my car and drive back home. And then there I was, in my car, parked outside my building and I was simply unable to move. To open the door and get out of the car. Carry the groceries up the stairs to my apartment. So there I sat, in my car, just staring in front of me. And I thought of this comic and just “shit. what now?”. At some point it occurred to me that my neighbors might see me and wonder what I’m doing just sitting there. After some time I somehow managed to get out of the car and go home. But sitting there stuck and thinking of this piece almost made me laugh. I mean, I would’ve laughed, had I had the energy for such emotion.