Back on the Horse

....and I don't mean heroin, either.

It had been a rough week - adjusting to a new job, dealing with a rather dysfunctional board, my home computer going Orac on me...and I still wanted to keep the promise to myself. Oh, sure, I had been burned before, but was willing to get back into the emotional Jellinek chart, to risk everything, life and limb, and see if my heart was ready.

This past week, I walked back into a comic store.

I didn't go back to my old store - it was a distance away, I hadn't been there in months, and was probably no longer in their system, so I chose a store much closer to home....just down the street, in fact. I had left work a little early, and wanted to make sure that I got there in time.

Once I stepped in, I realized....I had never fallen out of love with comics. In fact, once I entered, it reminded me of a lyric from a Difford/Tilbrook song, but adapted somewhat- floppies remind me of kisses, graphic novels remind me of plans...nothing else in the world, not even the rantings and ravings in the blogosphere, could prevent me from smiling inside like a child. For so long, I had stuck to checking books out of the library, but now...an entire mulitverse was available before me.

Oh, sure, there is room for disappointment (what little I've seen of the Big Two, it's nothing more than corporate-driven profit-building mini-series), but looking at the sheer variety that was available, I became strongly heartened. Indie comics, hero books, everything else....in a layout that was more Borders than corner geek shop. I fell back in love with a medium that I grew up with, that nurtured me, and that held - and continues to hold - promise. Not because it gives me a familiar nostalgic glow, but because it is a tangible reminder of hope in an ever-increasingly-cynical world.

In fact, as I left with my purchase, two little words popped in my head. Two words that I am going to have to mention next time I come. It's the kind of words that assume a stronger, longer lasting committment...and which I am ready to say.

Those two little words?

Pull file.

(NOTE: Fixed the link Roger pointed out - enjoy!)