Charlie Brown and Me

A common game my friends and I do at work is cast ourselves as cartoon characters. Recently we came to the conclusion that I am the "Charlie Brown" of our little "Peanuts" group. My friend Jodi confirmed: "That means you're the center of our group but we all secretly hate you". We decided Jodi would be Lucy.


Now before I continue allow me to point out that Jodi apologized right after that sentence and that I am 95% sure they all don't hate me. And if the truth lies in that 5%, then all the better for me to live in ignorance. But what does it mean to be a Charlie Brown?

The first Peanuts comic. Poor Charlie never had a chance.

Being Charlie Brown is somewhat similar to being Meg Griffin from Family Guy. Meg has a lot in common with Charlie Brown: both are abused by their friends and family for no apparent reasons. Both try to stay optimistic in a world where bad shit always happens to them. Both have a white dog that steals the show All. The. Time.



So why does Charlie Brown put up with that? Well I assume that, like me, he knows his friends are kidding and would have his back if he needed them. I also suspect Charlie has a thick skin; his friends mock him openly but he still puts them on his baseball team and in his Christmas pageants. People, including myself, sometime like to show their support and affection through sarcasm and harsh language. For example, if a friend of yours comes up and says "Oh gee, guys, I'm having a bad day" the proper response would be "oh no, what's wrong?". Whereas me and my folk would say something like "Oh, well why don't you post about it on Facebook before you get your period?" or something in that vain.

Sometimes people need a scapegoat for their anger. They are pissed at the world so they take it out on someone they know is a friend; that way they get rid of their anger without worsening a situation. It can be tough to be that scapegoat sometimes, but after years of practice you learn to shrug it off and go with it. Take Lucy for example. She always pulls the football away from Charlie Brown before he can kick it. And you know why? Because Lucy's a bitch. But tricking Charlie makes her feel better, and in return she's always there for him when he needs advice (for five cents, please).

Oh fan art, gotta love it.

What else do I have in common with Charlie Brown? I share his insecurities, for sure, but I feel like everyone can feel like CB in that respect. It would be weepy to say life hands me shit, and false because I have had a good life so far. But perhaps in little ways life may hand me shit. Like getting a rock instead of candy on Halloween. I get rocks sometimes instead of candy. You just say "aaaggh! I got a rock!" and move on with life. Or sometimes you throw that rock at Violet, and take her candy.

I also share CB's need for attention and affection, the way he gripes when he doesn't get a Valentine's Day card. Take right this instant, for example: it's midnight, I have no reason to be awake, but I'm blogging about how I'm like a comic strip character known for being the butt of everyone's joke. It's a lame situation, but it's totally something Charlie Brown would do.

 But there's plenty of good about being Charlie Brown. For starters, you appreciate all the good you have in life: Your dog playing Red Baron on his doghouse, that scary-ass demon tree from Hell not eating your kite. You face the day with an unwavering optimism: today will be my day, I'm gonna kick that football and finally talk to the Little Red Haired Girl. Even though you know you'll land right on your ass in both instances.

And so I will embrace my inner Charlie Brown. Everyone may mock him, but in the end he's a Good Man (musical reference). Now I'm going to go to my front porch and sing "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes. Because that's what Charlie Brown would do.