The Dose

This website is supposed to just be a place for me to post comics about pharmacy (and the occasional Game of Thrones or Twin Peaks spoof). But today I had a pretty earnest discussion with my daughter about some encounters she’s had since school started.

I grew up under the thumb of a very strict, authoritarian parent who never let me stray too far from the guide markers. I was a pretty boring kid who more or less checked boxes through adolescence.

Straight A’s? Let’s not kid ourselves. Passing? Check.
Good attendance? Check.

I was in Academic Decathlon instead of taking a sport because my mom was crazy. So imagine the kid I would one day raise. I would be just as strict and authoritarian, right? Or maybe I actually wouldn’t care what color she wants her hair to be. (It was blue)

My daughter is a pretty free spirit, and it’s definitely a balancing act to try to keep her on the map while allowing her to explore. She came home sad because a friend of hers said they couldn’t hang out any more because they don’t dress alike. My daughter is obsessed with clothing and shows from the 1990s. Her friend gets new clothing and the latest fashions frequently, new furniture, and basically gets treated like a princess.

I buy my dress shirts and pants for work on clearance for less than $10 each usually. I’m still sporting the furniture from my first apartment.

We talked about relationships we form, friendships we develop over time. If I spent $500 on my daughter’s wardrobe every few months, would her friend suddenly like her? Or would she still be just as shallow? Take yourself out of the situation. Do you respect someone that shallow? Or do you think it’s more admirable to be an individual?

Is it wise to spend money to impress someone for whom you hold no respect?

I then quoted the above passage attributed to the actor, columnist, and Freemason Will Rogers.

My daughter may forget the words, as she has yet more roads to travel in her growth as a person. But hopefully she’ll at least remember the message.

Hi, r/comic mods.