Garfield Minus Garfield Book

Every once in a while, a book surprises you with depth and insight you never suspected. This was one such book. I've heard about it & seen it around, & thought, "oh, how clever", or "cute". While working at the library today, it came across my desk & when I checked it in,& since it didn't have a hold on it, I decided to flip through. What I found startlingly touching, sad & very familiar. Take Garfield away from Jon & he's talking to himself. You see a man who works hard, tries hard, & experiences the emotional highs & lows of life in relative isolation. As someone who has struggled with mental disabilities throughout my life, I suddenly recognized in Jon a kindred spirit. Someone lonely enough to cheer himself up with sock puppets. Someone who can go from ecstatic to despondant without any apparent cause. Jon Arbuckle has long been a friend of mine. Garfield comics have on many occasions drawn me out of depressions with an easy laugh & a familiar pun. Thanks to Dan Walsh, I now understand why - 'I' am Jon Arbuckle. Luckily, Garfield is around to make our lives more tolerable.