For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for September 06, 2015

Michael wearing that shirt reminds me of the lyric in Johnny Cash’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down”: then I fumbled in my closet through my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt.

Some discoveries are best not shared.

But he thought it was neat.

@Paul M Marion (from yesterday): Our older daughter is Deborah, and we called her Debby. When she was 3 I dropped her off at daycare. Her teacher handed her something and said, “Here you go, Deborah.” Debby responded, “Thank you for calling me that.” That night I asked her if she didn’t want to be called “Debby” any more, and she said yes. I told her to tell her father. She walked up to my husband and said, “I’m not Debby any more.” My husband, thinking she was playing a pretend game, said, “OK…who are you?” She lifted her head proudly and said, “I’m ‘Deborah’. Get it right!” She’s almost 13 now and the only nickname she’ll accept is Dee.

Lynn’s Notes:

Once again, my son’s words, written exactly as spoken, gave me a perfectly good Sunday page.

Turn about is fair play.

Wasn’t there a famous psychologist or psychiatrist who claimed that everyone’s problems were the fault of the mother?Not hard to spot a misogynist!

Hey Ellie, there are ways to take care of those pesky facial hair problems at home. Then you won’t give the men in your family reason to fire back at you with those zingers.

Nighty just doesn’t have the right feel.

I never would dare to speak to my mother that way but she often spoke poorly about my dress or hair. Still, you don’t speak that way to your mother.

Women,

Well, Mike, your instinct to Change the Subject was right.Choice of New Topics, you probably need to work on that a little bit. .

Who has the right to criticize whom?Michael was bombarding down the stairs, which are part of a house that was paid for by John and Elly.Michael had unkempt hair, not using combs or toiletries that John and Elly bought him.Michael was wearing a filthy shirt; John and Elly bought the shirt and Elly takes time and effort to clean and press his clothes.

Sorry Michael, you have no right to freshmouth your mother, of whom you are so dependent upon.

@Templo S.U.D-Kristofferson wrote it…

I don’t see Michael criticizing his mother here, I see a little boy who is excited that his mom has something “ever neat” on her upper lip.

I don’t buy it (“…my son’s words, exactly as spoken”) — no child in history has EVER said “Ever neat!” Worst ear for children’s dialogue.

Turnabout is fair play, Elly.