Who said cartoons are just for kids? And furthermore, aren’t we all still kids at heart? If you answered yes, pick up Sarah Andersen’s book, Adulthood is a Myth, a part of her “Sarah’s Scribbles” collection.
A cartoonish where’s-waldo-figure is shown on the cover, being chased by an equally childish drawing of a bunny. But don’t mistake this literature for children, for this book draws on the trials and tribulations of “a young modern life” in a quite sarcastically comedic manner.
To understand the tone, look no further than the book’s blurb on the back cover:
“Are you a special snowflake? Do you enjoy networking to advance your career? Is adulthood an exciting new challenge for which you feel fully prepared? Ugh. Please go away. This book is for the rest of us.”
As a current senior in college, the thought of my future is daunting, terrifying, and an all around nightmare that I tend to squash before the thought becomes too developed. Andersen gets me. It’s satirical. It’s real. But you also have to remember, Sarah Andersen is now a published author.
In my book, that’s a pretty well crafted career and one that does not come to fruition without hard work and diligence. So, if anything Andersen’s book is a reminder to the college kids freaking out about life after school, you don’t have to take yourself too seriously to be successful. It’s okay to indulge in a little cynicism and laughter.
What you see as a bleak future – Andersen sees as the butt of cartoonish joke. While insightful and highly relatable, Andersen is allowing her readers to also see the frivolities of our woes. Whether that be crying because our bra shows in the barely there tops of today, or wondering when you can return home from school and work to rest in your pajamas – these problems plague us. And acknowledging that simple fact is hilarious in an introspective manner.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Let’s just laugh. Have fun. A kid at heart still has an extraordinarily bright future.