At lunch I hopped over to the Art supply store to snag a white gel pen. Mine was woefully empty. I grabbed a few .005 black microns, mine also out of ink, and headed to the check out. I had a skin tone copic sketch marker (E18-copper) in my pile. I couldn’t remember if I’d already bought this color so I inquired on their return policy. I wanted to make sure I could exchange it if need be or I’d just come back for it later.

“You must make a living doing art” the clerk’s response.

“Why?” I almost responded- though I already surmised he was referring to the cost of these markers. They don’t come cheap. And if I had so many as not to remember which ones it seemed a logical conclusion even to me. I knew what he meant as most starving artist do. My next impulse was to confess “It’s my obsession. I hoard art supplies.” Instead I bit my tongue.

“No I don’t make a living. I make money but I don’t support myself through art.” I replied in defense of my glut. Can one be addicted to Copic markers?  I pondered silently to myself.

“Hmm. So it sounds like Christmas Cash.”

“Yes” I responded though bus fare was more accurate. “Honestly this is how I keep my sanity, through my art.”

“Oh, so then it’s the Sanity Clause.”

“Yes that’s exactly what it is.”

Chico:” Wait what’s this say here?”

Groucho: ” Oh that. That’s the usual clause. That’s in every contract. That just says if any of the parties participating in this contract are shown not to be in their right minds. The entire agreement it automatically nullified.

Chico:” Well I don’t know”

Groucho: ” It’s alright. That’s in every contract.That’s what they call a sanity clause.”

Chico: “Hahaha. You can’t a fool a me there ain’t no sanity clause”