Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson for November 24, 2018

well, I guess that’s a load off Phoebe’s mind

Phoebe will feel better once she’s done something about that acne.

Saying something out loud is not in itself a truly reliable way to tell if it’s smart. Sometimes, you have to actually be told.

What’s better than walking it off? Riding it off!

Taking Marigold a little for granted there, eh Phoebe?

Panel #3 (Phoebe’s realization, backed up by her mother Emily in the fourth panel) is the “radium in the pitchblende” of today’s installment. A similar realization occurred to Cara Diana Hunter in the second Unicorn Chronicles novel, “Song of the Wanderer,” in which she had to engage in a retrieval operation to our world, escorted by three unicorns. Lightfoot, the first unicorn she had met in their world, and with whom she had become fast friends, wasn’t among them (due to a long-running family schism—the group leader, Lightfoot’s uncle, disliked him, and this colored his feelings toward Cara), and at the very beginning she felt disappointed and a little resentful over Lightfoot’s inability to join them. But then she thought to herself—shamefully—that she was being selfish and taking things for granted, considering how amazing it was just to be with unicorns, the other two of whom—the guide of the group, especially—were quite personable toward her.

You’ll feel better after some fresh air, Phoebe.

“It’s a nice day, for November.” I love that line so much I’m tempted to propose to it.

Such a song and dance over a silly song!

“Go ride your unicorn”. Good advice for everyone, even as a metaphor.

And accept that not everyone, not even the best friends, have the same tastes.

If this is Phoebe’s biggest problem, I think she’s doing okay compared to a lot of other kids.

I remember an interview with legendary film critic Roger Ebert. He was asked what surprised him the most about films, film criticism, and so forth. He said it always amazed him that if he didn’t happen to like a movie that somebody else did, that other person might take it as a personal attack, instead of a mere difference of opinion or taste.

This reminds me of a bit in J. M. Barrie’s “My Lady Nicotine” in which the protagonist was so fond of a particular blend that if he introduced the blend (Arcadia) to a fellow pipe smoker and that person wasn’t feel as excited about it as the protagonist was, he promptly forgot the person’s name. My understanding is that the book was about this sort of unbalanced worldview.

Unfortunately a similar thing has happened in politics. It didn’t always seem that way before, but it is now.

https://www.gocomics.com/theflyingmccoys/2018/11/24?ct=v&cti=2164124

Lucky Phoebe, having a mother that takes her feelings seriously.

You know your mom is best mom when she can say “go ride your unicorn” with a straight face.