For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 20, 2018

missed your chance, birthday boy, but it won’t hurt to ask if you may cut in

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to!

Let’s answer Mike’s questions:

1. What if I step all over her?

Answer 1: You apologize.

Answer 2: You look around and realize there is almost no stepping in 1980s-style slow dancing. It is mainly holding and swaying. Don’t lift your feet. You will be fine.

Answer 3: Pick her up off the floor and find some bandages and use direct pressure to stop the bleeding.

2. What if I totally screw up?

Answer 1: You apologize.

Answer 2: Not “if”. “When” and that time is right now, Mister Chip Eater. You have already screwed up by not dancing with your girlfriend for the fast dances. What makes you think you can invite your girlfriend to your birthday party and ignore her?

3. What if she thinks I’m hopeless?

Answer 1: You apologize

Answer 2: I believe the answer to that one is in the final panel of this strip.

Okay, so I was kidding when I said Lawrence was gonna steal Mike’s girl – but shoot, he actually did.

Guess I called it, huh?

“He who hesitates is lost.”

“It’s Mr. Steal Your Girl!”

I can honestly imagine Lawrence being a good friend since Michael’s been stalling the whole night.

“THEY” put on slow music? Who’s “THEY”? It’s YOUR party, Michael. Why have slow records available? I assume you don’t just have the radio on!

“What if I Snooze?”

Spoiler alert

I guess this shows that in 1989 Lynn did not yet have in mind Lawrence’s “coming out”. That won’t happen for 4 more years. In the 3rd strip (3/29/93) she explained away his dancing with girls with a quick one-liner. This series of 22 strips was so controversial at the time that some newspapers refused to run it.

I wish I had Jesse’s Girl!

@Dwane; you looze.

“He who hesitates is lost”

It is better to have loved and lost – MUCH BETTER (A. E. Neumann)

It’s a shame that what happen with LawrenceThat commenter had to bring it out now let the children enjoy the danceBeing children the strip Referring Lawrence beingGay wish the comment would have waited till theStrip came out. Lynn did such a great job With it even Shult who dose peanut comic and Other comic plubisher comment what a great jobShe did with it. So please if you would hold up commenting onLawrence for now by theI am not gay but have respect for them. I just got the book for better or worse from 1979 to 1982 what great novel About young family grown up dad spanking Mike bareBottom Ellie at times showing way to much anger at times OH how it bring back memory’s whenI First got married 80 yearsAgo me and my will celebrate 60 years of marriage

You snooze, you lose.

I like the way in the 3rd panel, Michael just wipes the chip mess on his hands off onto his shirt. No wonder Elly complains about how her children ruin their clothes.

Boy, is Martha barking up the wrong tree, or what?