I don’t even recall when I first set my eyes on him but I remember that I’ve always been captivated by his persona and demeanour. I guess it was his grin that made me love him, for the reason that for me, no one can give off a grin like he does. It’s just so loaded with a gamut of emotions difficult to decipher…
Yes the love of my life Garfield, that big, fat, lazy cat who’s so insecure of his age and yet at the same time, the one with an ego as big as his appetite and proud of it. Sounds kiddish I know but I love this very adorable cartoon character because he personifies everything I’m not, there’s always something new to learn from his antics and brings about a constant whiff of fresh air.
The best thing about Garfield is that he always finds a way out to place himself in a comfortable situation against all odds and puts himself above everything else, something we need to do at times when circumstances demand so. And he comes out triumphant. I try to fall back on this disposition whenever I feel low. That’s why even this evening I read Garfield’s ‘The Me Book’ all over again. It was a rare find on the streets of Darya Ganj years ago and a companion ever since. Here Garfield takes on Sigmund Freud and talks about ‘Ego Quotient’, about unleashing the outrageous ego in all of us, about whipping a flabby ego into shape and come out deciding that we’re the most important person in our life, pun is very much intended…
Yes, dear Diary, today was not at all a good day. I know all days can’t be bright but this day was different and I don’t feel apologetic about feeling so down tonight and wallowing myself in self pity, after all I’m also human. When things don’t work out, it won’t, and no amount of compromise will soothe the soul. And yet, when years of allegiance seem meaningless, the feeling of self betrayal is just too piercing and painful...
By the way, it’s another story that even at my age I collect Garfield memorabilia and am a member of his website. And it’s also another story that Garfield’s favourite food ‘lasagna’ spells out my name ‘asangla’, therein lies the solace…
