I make it a point to read a "Peanuts" comic strip every single day. For me, it's akin to taking an affirmation. No mater how many times you see a panel showing Charlie Brown running to kick that football, or Linus trying to wrangle his blanket away from Snoopy, you just can't help but smile. One thing that has always drawn me to the comic strip is the way the characters talk to each other. I mean, here we have elementary school-aged characters talking to each other, for the most part, like adults, with one even posing as a psychiatrist. I can remember reading the comic strip as a kid and being somewhat confused by some of the dialogue, then going back and re-reading the same panels years later and finally understanding what was going on. Schulz drew much of the inspiration for the main character, Charlie Brown, from his own life. Both were shy and withdrawn, both had dogs as pets, both had a father that was a barber and a mother that was a housewife. Even some of Charlie Brown's friends were based off of real people in Schulz's life. However, I also like to think that Schulz created this character with the knowledge that each of us, at some point in our lives, have found ourselves feeling a bit like Charlie Brown, that loveable, balding child who never could seem to catch a break.
The one thing that would bring Charlie Brown the most satisfaction in all the world would be to kick that football. In the course of almost 50 years Charlie Brown must have tried to kick that football a million times, but never could quite reach his goal. No matter what sweet promises Lucy made, she would always yank the ball away at the last minute, leaving poor Charlie Brown sprawled out flat on his back. Some might see this as the true essence of Charlie Brown's gullible nature, but I think it is a prime example of his dedication and determination. Nothing is going to sway this kid from kicking that football. It doesn't matter how many times he might have failed in his past, each time Lucy lines up the ball a new opportunity presents itself, and Charlie Brown does not shy away from the challenge. Even though (to my recollection) he never "kicked that football clear to the moon," he also never gave up. We all have certain things in our life that we can't help wanting, or wanting to do, even though they might be terribly out of reach. I think we could all take a lesson from Charlie Brown and keep going for those things....even if the majority of the time we end up flat on our backs.
Frequent readers of the comic will attest that Charlie Brown is one of the most genuine, heartfelt characters around. When asked to be the director of the Christmas play, Charlie Brown does not fall under the influence of his friends when they encourage him to fall into the commercial trap of Christmastime. Instead, he wants to find out for himself the true meaning of the holiday, and make their Christmas play a true representation of the holiday. Peer pressure is never an easy thing to endure, but time and again Charlie Brown stands as the lone man out, determined to do the right thing. We could probably all stand to be more like that.
Like the typical shy child, Charlie Brown constantly dreams of being the hero in any given situation, especially on the baseball field. Whether it's trying to steal home, or strike out a batter, Charlie Brown definitely has delusions of grandeur in a lot of situations. While we might not readily admit it, this is a common trait in all of us. Don't we secretly always envision ourselves saving the day somehow? Don't we sometimes crave for people to look at us with admiration because of something wonderful we did? The slippery slope with these desires is that sometimes they might persuade us to compromise our standards or personal ethics. You have to admire Charlie Brown's willingness to try and attain that hero status, but all on his own terms. And probably one of the most endearing qualities about Charlie Brown? He is a responsible pet owner. Snoopy sure is a lucky beagle.
The one thing that would bring Charlie Brown the most satisfaction in all the world would be to kick that football. In the course of almost 50 years Charlie Brown must have tried to kick that football a million times, but never could quite reach his goal. No matter what sweet promises Lucy made, she would always yank the ball away at the last minute, leaving poor Charlie Brown sprawled out flat on his back. Some might see this as the true essence of Charlie Brown's gullible nature, but I think it is a prime example of his dedication and determination. Nothing is going to sway this kid from kicking that football. It doesn't matter how many times he might have failed in his past, each time Lucy lines up the ball a new opportunity presents itself, and Charlie Brown does not shy away from the challenge. Even though (to my recollection) he never "kicked that football clear to the moon," he also never gave up. We all have certain things in our life that we can't help wanting, or wanting to do, even though they might be terribly out of reach. I think we could all take a lesson from Charlie Brown and keep going for those things....even if the majority of the time we end up flat on our backs.
Frequent readers of the comic will attest that Charlie Brown is one of the most genuine, heartfelt characters around. When asked to be the director of the Christmas play, Charlie Brown does not fall under the influence of his friends when they encourage him to fall into the commercial trap of Christmastime. Instead, he wants to find out for himself the true meaning of the holiday, and make their Christmas play a true representation of the holiday. Peer pressure is never an easy thing to endure, but time and again Charlie Brown stands as the lone man out, determined to do the right thing. We could probably all stand to be more like that.
Like the typical shy child, Charlie Brown constantly dreams of being the hero in any given situation, especially on the baseball field. Whether it's trying to steal home, or strike out a batter, Charlie Brown definitely has delusions of grandeur in a lot of situations. While we might not readily admit it, this is a common trait in all of us. Don't we secretly always envision ourselves saving the day somehow? Don't we sometimes crave for people to look at us with admiration because of something wonderful we did? The slippery slope with these desires is that sometimes they might persuade us to compromise our standards or personal ethics. You have to admire Charlie Brown's willingness to try and attain that hero status, but all on his own terms. And probably one of the most endearing qualities about Charlie Brown? He is a responsible pet owner. Snoopy sure is a lucky beagle. I think a lot could be said about the entire Peanuts cast and the situations they have found themselves in over the years. Schulz has given the American public a plethora of timeless characters that are relatable to children and adults of all ages, and the relevancy of his creations will never wane. Charlie Brown will always be bald, always be the kid picked on by his friends, and will always be yearning for his chance with the Little Redhead Girl. He may never get to be the hero he so desperately wants to be, but perhaps that is one of the reasons he is so appealing to us. This is what makes him so much like you and me. However, I can't help but wonder....what would life have been like if Charlie Brown finally got to kick that football clear to the moon?
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