Project Description

INKTOBER 2025 Day #29: LESSON.

“Pay attention, class! The monkey is imparting profound wisdom!
I have been fortunate to have had many wonderful, impactful teachers in my life. People who have taught lessons that stuck with me. My parents of course, my high school English teacher Mr. Flangheddy (which is who PMD kind of looks like here, now that I look at it), my high school art teacher Mr. Phaneuf, sensei Perry, sensei Tabata, sensei Nagao, and too many others to list, have all influenced the person I am. The lessons weren’t always obvious or specific. They were less about ‘how to do x’ and more about developing character. They were about having integrity, doing the right thing, how to treat other people, how to lead, possessing mental toughness, having and showing compassion. The specific lessons, the ‘how to do x’, although important on the surface as well, were just the vehicle to something deeper.
Over the years, I have found myself in the role of teacher from time to time. I’ve had the opportunity to teach karate, raise children, and lead youth in scouts both as a youth myself and later as an adult. It has always been rewarding and enlightening. Teaching others demands that one understand the subject on a deeper level; it requires a great deal of introspection. While I have learned many lessons from other people, I think I have learned almost as many when I’ve had the opportunity to teach others. Life is full of lessons if you pay attention.”

Do you enjoy these silly pen and ink illustrations starring Plunger Monkey? Wish you had a whole book full of them to gaze at lovingly whenever you wanted? You’re in luck! Get a copy of Inklings to satisfy that need: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733734716/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO28074KOTGC&keywords=inklings+by+toby+gray&qid=1689026488&s=books&sprefix=inklings+by+toby+gray%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-1