For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 25, 2019

crushing… seeing your crush with her on-again boyfriend

Yes, Gordon. Girls can lie. Girls are also not obliged to tell you the truth about their personal lives and why not? If Allyson had told Gordon she was going out with Peter Kent, she might have to endure a lecture about what a terrible person he is, etc. Better to lie than get lectured by Gordon Mayes.

That is soul crushing when it happens to you when you are about 16 years old.

Who else saw this coming a mile away?

Jesus. Teenagers and their lying. Allyson could have said, “I’d love to go with you but I already have a date tonight.” Gordon would understand because he did call last minute. Better than lie and get caught with another guy. Their rationalization skill is so messed up.

Sorry Gordon. Would it help if we told you you’re the better man even if Allyson can’t see that at this time?

At least now Gordon knows where he stands with Alyson. An ugly truth is better than a beautifull illusion.

Fair dues, Michael.

Gord, when her husband dumps her when she hits 40, you can try again.

Well, of course she lied to you. But she cared enough about your feelings to take the time to lie to you. Your making headway dude.

So now we have three liars in this strip. The others have been:

1.) Brian Enjo, who lied to his mother when he tattled on Michael for attempting to spy on the girls’ shower hut at camp. Brian neglected to tell his mother he was also a Peeping Tom and blamed the whole thing on Michael.

2.) Elizabeth, who lied to her mother about ruining an errand. Rather than say she was careless and broke the grocery bag, she cried wolf and attempted to blame it on nonexistent robbers.

That’s a dose of reality right between the eyes!

And here’s the soul crushing reality. I experienced it when my high school crush said he wanted to be just friends.

Growing up.. is full of disappointment and deceit.

It doesn’t help that decades later, when you run into the people who made your life hell in jr. high/high school, they have apparently developed amnesia and act as if you were best friends back then. I try to forgive, but cannot forget…

Does anyone know if Gordon ever gets the girl?

This is the same Peter who was a total jerk in leaving Allyson to be sick from drinking the booze. Apparently, that doesn’t matter to her. Later on, she’ll complain that she never meets nice guys.

Peter Kent the actor.

Or Peter Kent the TV reporter (then) and now a Canadian politician.

The main “brush-off” I got for the senior prom was “mother won’t let me date yet” – yet 5 of the 6 turn-downs showed up with dates. (Wish I’d known as much about human nature by 17 as I’ve amassed by 79)

Not everyone has to like you, you can’t force people to have good taste.

What did I say 2 days ago? It was all so easy to predict. They just gotta stay with the bad boy type. Glad that 19 years ago when I was 47 I finally found a girl that didn’t want a bad boy, it sure took a long time.

I had something similar happen to me as a teen. When I saw her with someone else after telling me she had been “grounded”, I just walked up so she could see me, then walked off without a word. I think my silence and her knowing that I caught her in a lie had more impact than confronting her and going on a rant. She tried to call me to “explain”, I told her I was busy to hear her story that day and would be for the next several years. I then hung up the phone and never heard from her again.

Didn’t Peter get kicked out of school? I thought Michael told Gordon he missed a fight at the dance as Peter drunkenly attacked one of the teachers.