Hal and Bengie - a series of cartoons

An occasional series of cartoons by Jay

Humour is an essentially human way of expressing feelings. It is now recognised as an important factor in the healing process, whether it is the mind or the body that needs to heal. Many trans people go through experiences that cause pain and damage to their person and their spirit. Often, the casualties of such skirmishes with life are an individual’s self confidence and esteem. Laughter is an antidote to such damage and an ability to laugh at one’s self is a mark of maturity. Trans people have many battles yet to engage, but it should be acknowledged that we have come a long way to reach a point where we can view the humour inherent in our lives. We support and nourish each other with our humour and compassion - laughter is the outward expression of that process.

In her treatise on “Healing with humour:..Taking better care of ourselves” Catherine Ripplinger Fenwick states: “A sense of humour is one of our most powerful stress coping behaviours. Laughter is very freeing. If we can laugh at a thing we can survive it. Laughter helps us to gain power in powerless situations and gives us a sense of control when things around us seem out of control. This humour attitude is physically, psychologically, and spiritually beneficial. A good laugh can help us see life from a different perspective and face our problems with renewed concentration and hope.”

I am not a professional artist, but I use cartoons to explore difficult situations and give vent to frustrations that arise in everyday events. If these cartoons enable other trans people to adjust their perspective a little and by this means, rationalise and cope better with the obstacles they face, then these drawings will have served their purpose.

jhl

First cartoon