A Very Important Message from Pookie

If you have been following Wimpy Girl, you know that she’s been MIA for a little over a year now. Oops.

I, like many of you, have been paddling as fast as I can to cope with the changes that our world is facing right now. And I’m older, changes are not easy.

My apple carts (Wimpy Girl, Barefoot Diary, and BlabberTales) have been flipped upside down. With all the turbulence, it was easy to second guess the value of my “apples.” Negativity crept in and created a nasty earworm in my head that went something like this: you can’t draw, your ideas are stupid, you aren’t really a writer, you run like a spastic sloth, you are fat, you are too old for stuff like this, nobody thinks you are funny, and basically, you suck.

So, the new year happened with a whisper. Fireworks displays were cancelled because of the latest virus. I filled out my Planner Pad and, with not much fervor, set my goals for running, writing and reading for the new year. I listen to books because I can draw and listen at the same time and it is easier on my eyes. I figured that maybe, just maybe, listening to the right kind of stuff would pull me out of my funk. I started out with Chicken Soup for the Runner’s Soul. That got me all pepped up for running and exercising. Snap! But, as I read the news daily, my spirit spirals into a pit all over again and my “voice” has a nasty case of laryngitis.

Then, I found Sanjay Gupta’s World War C: Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One. Okay, it’s a bit of a nerdy read, he is a brain surgeon, you know. But the “what we can do about all this” part really lit a fire in me.

Dr. Gupta gives practical advice about how we can fight the virus, not by whining about wearing masks or griping because concerts are cancelled, but by simply taking care of ourselves. (a Wimpy Girl lightbulb aha) According to the good doctor we all need to exercise, get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food and find an outlet for our brains (like hobbies, meditation, laughter, etc.) Well duh! I knew that! Or, did I really?

Gupta’s words helped me to put on fresh big-girl panties and suck it up. Wimpy Girl can just maybe…help. Even though she’s a “spaz,” she promotes healthy lifestyles and every now and then makes people smile.

Now my new brain earworm goes something like this: it doesn’t matter that your lines and proportions aren’t exactly right, it doesn’t matter if you misspell something or your participles dangle, it doesn’t matter if your running form is pitiful, and most importantly, it doesn’t matter if all of your jokes are LOL funny, if they make one person smile and forget the garbage in their life, then it is worth it. In essence, “You may be wimpy, but your voice can roar!”

So, I’ve redrawn, redesigned, rebranded and recommitted. The new Wimpy Girl site is simpler, and the text is bigger for older eyes. I’ve redone the Wimpy Girl eCards site and it’s absolutely free. I’m committed to posting at least one Wimpy Girl cartoon each week, by golly. If you think the weekly post is funny, then please forward it and share it with your friends. If you think it’s dumb, then pretend you didn’t see it, but keep reading and following, just in case I get it right the next week.

I know there are a lot of Wimpy Girls out there. Okay, maybe not as dorky as me, but I know you exist. You are my people. My tribe. My sisters. I believe in you.

Our world may not be completely healed because of our voices, but we certainly have something to say, and we can make a difference at least by taking care of ourselves. 

I invite you to join me on this journey. I’m pumped to see what happens. Thank you for being YOU.

#wimpygirlsmatter #thewimpygirlproject

To a brighter tomorrow,