Rainy Day and Finding Joy

Update, 25 January 2012!


Rainy Day contacted the contact person where Mr. Lee's Daughter is buried (Or at least a person with her name and birth date is buried) - no response. She did find out the name of the strip is Sherman on the Mount, and that is Brother Sherman facing the sunset. (Or perhaps, sun rise). She did contact the LA Times, who published the strip for Permission to post, and was informed she needed to contact the LA Times Syndicate, which she has done, and received a very nice auto response. So, soon, she hopes to either receive permission to keep it or be told to delete it.

Many years ago, Rainy Day worked for a large Aerospace Company. She had the wonderful opportunity to work in a group of writers that primarily worked proposals. Now, if you've never worked a proposal, you're probably thinking 'yeah? so?' but if you have had that same marvelous experience, Rainy Day is sure she has both your understanding – and heartfelt sympathy! Does Rainy Day presume too much?

Rainy Day remembers one week when she put 90 hours on her time card. 90 hours. In one week. And, she lived to tell about it! It was during that week as she ran (literally!) between her desk and the typing pool and the engineers, that she saw a cartoon on a bulletin board. She stopped, read it, took the few seconds to make her own copy, replace the original, and continue her run.

That cartoon, by Walt Lee, has hung over Rainy Day's desk ever since. It doesn't matter where she has worked, where she has lived, that cartoon is never packed longer than overnight! And is always in her sight when she sits at her desk. Always.

 

So, Rainy Day thought she would Google Walt Lee (why does it always sound slightly suggestive to 'Google' someone? Rainy Day wants to know? Really.), and if she could find a way to write him, to tell him how much his cartoon has meant in her life, she would do so.

Alas, to her dismay, she discovered he died in 1980. She has no idea the name of the cartoon (scanned and printed here without permission) or how to notify his family of the great joy that cartoon has brought her through the years, and seek that permission.

Rainy Day does not like to post things that are not hers without permission of the owner/artist or their estate so if any of you, Dearest and Gentlest of Readers, know the person she can contact for that permission, please tell her. In the meantime, she hopes this simple cartoon (colored by Rainy Day oh so many years ago) brings you the same wonderful and simple philosophy of life it has brought her. And the same happiness.

And, Mr. Lee, Thank You, for many moments of sanity in a very insane world! May Rainy Day be forgiven for sharing it on the world wide web. And may you find your joy, wherever you are, bright and early and first thing in the morning!