Finished

Well, I finally finished my letter campaign and sent my portfolio. I still have a significant number of letters to post here. I sent just over 30. I'll get them up in the next couple of days.

I got the portfolio off on Friday, which means [adult swim] should receive it today. Will it go directly to the garbage? Will it be read and loved? Who can say? I am prepared for anything.

I wanted to send the portfolio on Wednesday, but I kept thinking of little things to add to it, like page numbers, a handful of pictures, a table of contents, and my name. This last one was pretty important, and oddly the last one I thought of, so I'm kinda glad I waited for it. After that addition I decided that the portfolio was as ready as it needed to be and I sent it off.

It was a very liberating feeling to be done with it. I went home and had a very nice weekend. I didn't work on any stories or pictures. I didn't develope any ideas for cartoons or book. I didn't even get on the computer. I painted a little and felt very relaxed doing it.

On Sunday I took the family to the Georgia Aquarium. My extended family all went which meant it was a madhouse. It was very cool, but awfully crowded, and our 13 members made it more so. I was walking down the underwater tunnel when I saw a little toddler go walking past. He was way too young to be alone, so I followed him. Actually, I and my brother-in-law followed him. I just wanted to see if he knew where he was going or if he was lost. Turns out he was lost.

My brother-in-law caught up with him and I went in the other direction to find a parent. When I got into the open room I saw a young woman looking around on the floor like a mother missing a child might look around. I asked her if she was looking for a child at which point she whimpered and repeated "child." She clearly didn't speak English as a first language.

Anyway, being the selfless hero that I am I lead her to her missing boy and they were tearfully reunited. All because I and my brother-in-law paid attention to the world around us and selflessly devoted our time to the needs of a child.

That woman didn't even say thank you. I saved her child from being kidnapped (potentially) and all she did was cry over him. She could have kissed my cheek or flashed her boobs at me or any of the other universal symbols of gratitude. But I got nothing. It just doesn't pay to be selfless these days.