For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 22, 2023

Who is this girl? Rhetta has strong, drawn cheek bones; a rounded jawline; does not wear her hair in a granny bun or wear 19th century schoolmarm outfits. If anyone should be complaining about someone looking different, it should be Michael.

Rhetta regretta?

Did Rhetta change her hair color? In earlier strips, she was blonde.

Michael, I guess you are glad to see me.

What the h is wrong with these women? He’s a college guy now, jeez.

Rhetta suddenly look a lot more mature and womanly. Doesn’t look like a teenager anymore. Funny that Mike didn’t notice.

Explain one thing to me. Is it just me or does Rhetta look to be older than Michael ? To me, she looks like a lady in her latter 30s or early 40s, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd frames ! ! !

I’d forgotten about Rhetta.

She’s right about one thing – if your boyfriend’s hugs or kisses start feeling different, THEN it’s time to worry!

Look into his eyes, Rhetta, that’s where you find him.

Ahh, some things don’t change.

If they had FaceTimed together she would have noticed before he got home.

They both are changing….. And it appears Michael is still growing taller, too.

My question is how did Michaels hair grow so long in 3 or 4 months?

I had this in reverse – came home from class one day and my future fiancé had shaved. I was looking for a baseball bat cause he was unrecognizable. 30 years later and we still laugh about it – and he has never removed his beard again.

I remember several of the guys at my 10y HS reunion were much taller and filled out ( I don’t mean fat! ) – I guess they get a big growth spurt in their 20s.

At least Rhetta remembers his hug…….

But does he smell the same? An appearance like that and girls hold their noses.

Since when is facial hair casual? Obviously he grooms it, so not casual at all.

It would a funny strip if Michael were arrested for driving John’s sports car. Based on his appearance, it was obvious he cannot afford it, so he must have stolen it. When the police see his drivers license does not look like his appearance, they arrest him. When John is called that the police impounded the sports car, John looks at Michael and tells the cops “Nope, never seen that scruff in my life”, last seeing Michael as the teen who left for college. At least Michael now has a place where there are plenty of guys who look like him and they all dress the same; cracking rocks while wearing a striped uniform.

. Maybe he took the Movember challenge and didn’t stop at the moustache!

When I went away for three weeks, my husband decided to grow facial hair. At one point he called and said that a co-worker told him, “If I were working airport security and saw you coming toward me, I would just open fire.” Fortunately for him, I didn’t feel that way. Thirty years later, he still has the beard.

My neighbor got engaged… then joined the Army. Two years later, he came back home on leave…. and he had lost all the hair on the top of his head. His fiancée took one look at him and dumped him.