By Graham Mabury, 882 6PR - Nightline, weeknights from 8pm
I LOVED Peanuts, the world of everyday childhood experience created by Charles Schulz. Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy with the amazing imagination, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Woodstock and all not only brought me joy, but also caused me to ponder.
Schulz’s gentle humour reflected the frailties of adult life in the diminished forms of his young cast.
In one strip, Lucy, “the psychiatrist is in”.
She reassures Charlie Brown that he is not alone. “I realize – I have friends!” he exclaims. “Name one!” snaps Lucy, reverting to type.
Lucy herself, having failed yet again to interest Schroeder says: “Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.”
I mention this because of an article sent to me recently by a friend.
It claims that Schulz would ask people to name the five wealthiest people in the world, the last five winners of Miss America, the last 10 Pulitzer Prize winners, the last six Academy Awards for best actor… you get the idea. Invariably they would struggle.
His point was that though these people were the best in their fields, the applause dies, awards tarnish, achievements are forgotten and accolades are buried with their owners.
It’s worth remembering Schulz won numerous awards, is featured by the Smithsonian Institution and NASA named a command module “Charlie Brown” and its lunar landing module “Snoopy”.
Then he would ask if you could name friends who had been there for you when everyone else walked away, teachers who encouraged and grew you, and people who taught you something worthwhile – that sort of thing.
As Schulz’s cartoons so often illustrate, the people who make a difference do so not because of their achievements or awards but because of their love.