Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half is back online after a looooong seven years, and watching the outpouring of love and support and cheering and gratitude surrounding her return has been like a warm hug for my heart.
Don't get me wrong: I'm over the moon to read
ALL THE THINGS as she's posting again - and hopefully posting
alot - plus a new book?
Yes, please. Her "Richard" chapter she shared last week has been making me laugh ever since, in that, "Sweet Stay Puft, SHE REALLY DID THAT??" kind of way.
Oh how I've missed this muppet blob face
But also, speaking as a tiny fish in a similar pond, it's the sweet wave of... well,
forgiveness... that's made me most happy about Allie's return. No one's mad she's been gone so long, no one is demanding explanations or throwing gossip-y theories around in the comments; they're just happy she's here
now. Comments like, "take all the time you need," "you don't owe us anything," "we just want you to be OK," and
"we'll still be here" - oof. THEY "OOF" MY HEART, Y'ALL.
At midnight last night John and I were collapsed on the couch after a long day at a new job (we're re-doing a kitchen! Woot!) - and then hosting Movie Night on the Epbot Discord, when I blearily looked at my schedule and realized I didn't have a new Epbot post written. Cue the usual panic-fueled brain-storming and complaining to John that I wasn't organized enough, I should have prepared better, now I didn't have enough time because we were booked to work all weekend,
WHY WAS I LIKE THIS, etc. etc.
After 15 minutes of this John finally said in exasperation: "Jen, Allie Brosh disappeared for
seven years. I think your readers can handle seven days."
And you know what? He's right. He's right, you've all
told me - many times - that he's right, and even though it's good that I
try to post every 3-4 days, the fact is no one minds if I miss the mark sometimes. Heck, the vast majority of you never even notice if I'm late on a post, so really I should get off my high horse and stop thinking it matters so durn much.
So I stopped panicking, and I went to bed. Today we're back at work on that kitchen, and tomorrow I have a full day of Cake Wrecks, but at
some point I'll have time to write a real post (as opposed to whatever this is? Ha!) and it's going to be that much better for it.
Thanks for that, Allie. Just by being you, and (I hope) by giving yourself permission to be you, you've already helped so many of us be better uses. Us's? Usses. USS-S. (I'm getting the impression that isn't a word, but now I'm invested.)
In the meantime, go check out Allie's
free chapter "Richard" from her new book, because it will make you belly-laugh and forget the yucky stuff for a while. And if you're as eager to catch up on Allie's adventures over the last 7 years as the rest of us, be sure to follow the
Hyperbole and a Half Facebook page, where she's posting new photos every day.
And finally, heck yeah I'm going to plug her book! Have you read it yet? I still need to.
It's a hardcover, and would make an amazing gift for anyone who needs a good belly-laugh - including yourself.
Thanks for being here when I show up, Bots. Go do something nice for yourself this weekend, even if that just means giving yourself permission to not do anything. ::hugs::
*****
Oh wow, it's October already, isn't it? Time to announce last month's Squeegineer winners! So congrats, Jill S. & Linden V., you're them! (Grammar is totally my strong point today.) Please check your e-mails for a message from John, so you can choose your prizes.
