84/100 Becks * * For weeks, as day broke and her neighborhood came to life outside her bedroom window, Becks woud become half-aware that she was dreaming, again, about current events. Dark, no-hope dreams of greed and ruin. Two nights ago, before falling asleep, she told her brain to dream different, to find hope and light instead. And to her surprise, it obliged. She woke with a clear purpose: To be on the look out for the stricken — by anxiety or grief or fear or despair — and as often as she is able, do something about it. People fitting this description are not hard to find these days. This morning, for example, on her way to the train, she passed a man on a bench reading a newspaper. He was grimacing and rubbing his forehead. She slid in next to him and said, ‘Hey, hi there … are you okay?’ and he looked Becks straight in the face and said ‘No. No, I am not oaky, it is all so bad.’ She reached in her bag and pulled out a comic book, held it out to him and said, ‘Trade me.’ His face brightened and he gave Becks the newspaper, which she tossed in a nearby recycling bin. This is the first of many 'Becks Checks’ to come. #100daysofcartoonheadshots #madeupbiographies #pamtoons #the100dayproject #thankyoulyndabarry #cartoon #writing * (Inspired by Lynda Barry and her (totally freaking amazing) Writing the Unthinkable workshop at the Omega Institute.)