If you have talked to me for any length of time, you have probably been exposed to my love for the sweet old comic strip, “Peanuts.” “Peanuts” coaxes my inner child out of its hiding place. From Linus’ deep theological orations to Lucy’s larger-than-life spunk to Snoopy’s ongoing battle with the Red Baron, Charles Schulz captured thousands of hearts over the last 62 years — especially mine. Among this veritable pantheon of pint-sized heroes, though, not one has shown me how to live life better than Charlie Brown himself. So here you go: a few short reasons why everybody should be like that lovable round-headed kid.
He is an optimist. So Charlie Brown is a little gloom and doom sometimes. The bleakness of life gets to us all occasionally. But despite this outward pessimism, the man tries to kick that stupid football of Lucy’s every single year. How many times has he fallen flat on his back? All of them. Does that stop him? No. Fully aware of Lucy’s devious tendencies, he always gives her the benefit of the doubt and always hopes for the best.
He is persistent. In the same vein, Charlie Brown fails at pretty much everything, not just kicking that elusive football. He cannot fly a kite, he cannot win a baseball game and he cannot even spell the word “beagle.” (Please note that he owns a beagle.)
Such insurmountable failure would be enough to send even the best packing, but not our leading man. Even as he bemoans his own lack of skill, he goes right on trucking. Under that façade of self-deprecation, there was enough confidence to keep him going for the last 62 years.
He is true to himself. Despite his lack of valentines, Christmas cards and Halloween party invitations, our hero never goes out of his way to try to fit in. He is 100 percent himself all the time. When Lucy demands a shiny aluminum tree at Christmas time, he proudly comes back with his pathetically lovable little evergreen — not for the sake of defying the norm, but because he thinks it is the right thing to do. That little tree needs him, and doggone it, he is going to take care of it. While he wants people to like him, he is only willing to gain everyone’s approval for his real and honest self. If he is unpopular, it is only because he refuses to compromise.
If you’re at Harding this year expressly to get a degree, I’m afraid you’ll find that not much outside the classroom will benefit you at all. You might as well stick to the books. However, I hope we are all looking at a new year not just as one step closer to a career, but as a chance to become better, wiser people. That kind of thinking will let us learn not only from books, but from everyone and everything we come in contact with — whether it’s our Bible professor, a roommate or a round-headed kid kicking a football.
Keep at it, Chuck. I’ll be your little red-haired girl anytime.
