The wisdom of Harvey Pekar

I've been reading American Splendor on and off now for more years than I care to admit. Harvey Pekar is a great voice--probably the 20th-century...Pepys? No, because Pepys, if I remember correctly, was more about describing things around him, rather than his own life. Proust? (Ignoring for the moment that Proust is the 20th Century Proust [where is the quote "I'm the black Jesse Owens" from?]) Meh, maybe...let me start again.

I've been reading American Splendor on and off now for more years than I care to admit. Harvey Pekar is a great voice, but overall "Splendor" is really kind of take-it-or-leave-it for me. He certainly has some good stories to tell, but it's never been a can't-miss read--at least to me. Every so often, though, there's a kernel of wisdom that makes the journey worthwhile.

I was reading a Vertigo collection today called "American Splendor: Another Day". In it is a story titled "What Happened To Your Parents." At the end of the story, Harvey says "I dunno, maybe it's just not in the cards for some people to have happy lives. Although we're here for such a short time...maybe it doesn't even matter that much."

Maybe it's just the mood I'm in right now, but I think that may be about the most profound thing I've ever read.