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18 thoughts on “#652 + 653 – kids’ll ruin your life”
brie
Oof, wonderful.
cwbuecheler
The kid choice is fascinating. I know people who match every combination of wanted/didn't want, had/didn't have, and are happy/not happy about it. If Hanna is sure of what she wants (and despite what many people say, it's very possible to be sure of what you want in your early to mid-twenties), she's doing the right thing, even if it's causing short-term pain. The long-term pain of regretting such a significant life choice would be much more severe.
Jeff
Maybe some people have everything about themselves all figured out by their mid-20s, but I know a hell of lot more that were sure they knew (myself included) and ended up surprised that they were wrong about a lot of it after all, having spent years enduring 'short-term' pain to discover this was actually just the leading edge of long-term regret.
If we had ever heard or seen an explanation from Hanna about why she's so determined not to have children in her life, I might be less skeptical about her choice. But the way she's just dug in so hard that even her closest friends and lover seem unable to broach the subject, makes me think that she's built up a big-ass wall of denial about something profound.
If that's the case, she'll never be happy until she faces it squarely and owns it. Once she's done that, it may turn out that she still doesn't want children, but she won't be eating herself up with anger and angst, the way she is now.
Erb
didn't she imply it was because she's been high for basically 5 years in a row (and all the reasons she's probably taking drugs as well)
cwbuecheler
I find the idea that people need an explanation to be very interesting. I spent my teens and twenties coming up with reasons to explain to people why I didn't want kids. In my thirties I realized that "I just don't" was the only one that mattered.
I first told my mother I didn't want children when I was *six years old*. I'll turn 37 next month. Happily married five years. Still don't want kids, never having any. Some people just know. Hanna may be one of those people. She may NOT be, for sure, but not having shared her reasons doesn't make it so.
Diloolie
Agreed! Plus, she did mention it in a strip that people just seem to gloss over.
Jessica
I told my mom when I was seven that I didn't want kids (and I, too, am in my mid-30s), so she wasn't surprised when my then-fiance and I told her again that we weren't having children eight years ago shortly before our wedding. I could give lots of reasons, but in the end, I agree with you. "I just don't" is better than any of the other ones.
@ashdraws
Back in Octopie Wall Street, she gave the reason Erb mentioned, and also that she feels everything in her life would be obstructed by parenthood, and that she had already found happiness. A big part of that was probably Marek, of course, but if she's happy with her overall lifestyle and doesn't want to be a parent, that seems like a solid reason.
level9chao
I'm going through/getting over a breakup of similar magnitude of Hanna/Marek's, and the behaviors of every character feel extra real because I've noticed them all appearing in my life. I'm the extrovert-turned-recluse Hanna, with my personal talents similarly dominating my life as a void-filler. Like with Mar, I've yelled at and isolated some people out of anger, sadness, even envy at their better mood. The ones I haven't, still care but are mostly confused and as a result feel distant, as I imagine of Eve.
This comic has guided me through a lot of the sentiments of change I've been feeling recently, as someone just finishing college as well. If nothing else, it's cathartic.
Amelia
This arc (and the Octopie Wall Street one) have been having similar effects on me.
Meredith, oomf, this storyline. Augh.
Leify
Well, I hope this put a definite end to all of that "Marek's going back to Poland" ridiculousness.
I'm glad that there's no pressure on Hanna to have to change (even though I wish there could be a compromise, I miss Marek). There's a huge difference between trying to make her feel better and trying to fix things for her.
TRA
Heh, heh! It's kind of a scary image, but I like the last panel, where it looks like:Eve and Hanna are lost on a desert island, covered with hot muffins! Ha!
Jeff
i commented on this page already, but I wanted to say that I am really loving the wonderfully graceful shifts between realism and metaphor in the art, especially these last few months.
Meredith, I am selfishly sorry you aren't on this coast anymore, but I think that since the move, your pacing and imagery have really kicked up a notch. I see a lot of fearless emotional and artistic choices and a lot of joy in telling a great story – thank you thank you thank you!
Bruno Guedes
And then it was all a dream… OR WAS IT?
Seriously, this is damn beautiful. 😮
jon
I'd like to visit Cupcake Beach someday.
TrueVCU
Marooned alone on Muffin Island
Tabasco
Panel 7 hits like Tyson in his prime.
KitKats
Back at that dream, unsure of what she wants, whether her previous dream meant that she wanted a kid to change her life or not…