For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for January 23, 2019

It looks like we are missing a few dialogue boxes for Farley. Let’s see if I can remember what they were supposed to be:

Elly: Why aren’t people content with what they have, Farl? Why do we always want more?

Farley: Speaking as a dog, I don’t want more. I want less. When you have the food that is so terrible nobody in the family wants to eat it, I don’t want it my dog bowl. I want less. When you get angry and start yelling at me, I want less. There is one thing I want more of and that’s more of my name. I love it when you call me Farley and not Farl.

Elly: Why, when we have everything we need, do we still want the biggest, the best, the loudest, the fastest, the most exciting….

Farley: Speaking as a dog, I want the biggest meat bone, but it doesn’t have to be loud or fast or exciting. I like it better when it’s quiet, slow, and boring.

Elly: Why do people throw away something perfectly good – for the sake of something new?

Farley: That’s a good question, but I am glad they do. I get so much good food from other people’s trash cans.

Elly: If money isn’t the root of all evil – maybe insecurity is.

Farley: Zzz.

A nice introspective one. People “trading up” for things is a pretty common thing. Heck, our entire economy is based off of it! Companies build obsolescence into things just to create more of it!

I’ll be interesting to see if we get more of Anne, who I never recall from my time reading the strip (around Lawrence’s coming out till today). Was this story arc the end of her? She seems to be a way for Lynn to deal with various insecurities- she’s had a mildly-deformed child, she’s overweight, she’s always flustered (even more than Elly), and now she’s being cheated on. The kind of character you see in a lot of TV shows centered around a female protagonist- the one who’s even MORE of a mess, allowing you some empathy without being completely dragged down by it.

Nobody knows how to fix it. Mostly, they just try to punish the offenders in some way. Alimony, child support, and other ways.

It’s the love of money that’s the root of all evil.

For the record, it’s the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10

Money isn’t the root of all evil. Greed is. Commercialism, and quite a few churches, unfortunately, know how to play those tunes like an expert.

One of the joys of maturing is realizing that we don’t need all that stuff we thought we did.

We learn to live in our own skin and not be afraid of what others think.

We are content with what we have and who we share our lives with.

We no longer want to change the world and everyone in it to conform to our beliefs.

We are grateful for small mercies and take joy in simple things.

Most of all, we have learned to love unconditionally and to accept love from others in return.

.

Growing up and getting old isn’t too bad, after all.

Lynn’s Notes:

If I wasn’t fairly self-aware before I started the strip, I certainly became so afterwards. Writing these scenarios made me think–and from all points of view. Not only was I writing Elly’s take on the subject, I was seeing it from everyone else’s perspective as well.

The root of much (all?) evil is teaching others to be insecure and to want more than they need.

Money isn’ t the root of all evil – the correct phrase is “the LOVE OF money is the root of all evil” 1 Timothy 6:10

Who is Timothy? lol!

What it does is keep people unhappy and in debt. It is a shame. Contentment seems to elude most people nowadays.

I love the way Lynn has pictured Farley and his various positions on the couch. She knows her dogs.

At least there’s a biological drive behind cheating. No discernible purpose at all for a six figure automobile or an iPhone 10.

It’s the LOVE of MONEY that is the root of evil.

Growing up lower-middle class, Dad, after a drink or two, advised to strive to be only 10% wealthier than him..less stressing. That had me thinking, that leaves it open for me to be 3,000%, but no less than 10.

Money is not the root of all evil… the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Throw out your modern so-called bible and go back to your KJB1611.

“A dog is better than I am, for he has love and does not judge.” + St. Xanthias

Money isn’t the root of all evil. It is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil.

If Rod Johnston emptied the bank account, then Lynn’s response should be “Money is the root of all evil, and you have just made me a good, God-fearing Christian woman. Thank you, dear husband, for you have saved my soul.”

When it comes to adultery, people ultimately end up with less.

LESS confidence from their friends and family due to the mistrust.

LESS years of life. Cheating is an excellent way to spread AIDS and other nasty diseases.

AARRGGHH!!

The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

Gahhh.

Fear is the root of evil.

Oh for Dog’s sake!

In the last panel, the actual saying, which is from 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV) is: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.