Who do you
identify with more,
Charlie Brown or Calvin?
One of them tries his best to fit in–he plays little league, he goes to their parties, he tries to take part, but his efforts are always rebuffed and he is most often left humiliated or with a bagful of Halloween rocks. Yet, he keeps trying–like Sisyphus with his boulder. He never truly succumbs to his despair because there exists the hope that someday he WILL kick that football.
The other chooses instead to opt out–indulging instead in a rich fantasy life that can sometimes get him into trouble. Rather than risk the casual cruelties of life, he keeps to himself and imagines worlds and adventures inspired by film, television and other childhood passions. He never even notices a reason to despair because he’s too busy to ever realize he’s alone.
Which one do you identify with more–the boy who patiently persists for a brighter future or the boy who focuses only on the immediate delights he imagines in the present?
Or are you more of a Lucy and just a generally terrible person?
Calvin. I was so freakin’ bored in school and got terrible grades as a result. Calvin is very clever in so many ways, yet he freezes up at simple math problems. This was me! Well, I don’t know if I could have called myself clever, but I was reading before first grade, doing algebra on my little v-tech computer, and I struggled with everything the teacher prescribed as “advanced”! I don’t know how Calvin faired after first grade, but I learned that I was stupid and slowly (veeeery slowly) started to unlearn the lesson in middle school. Still unlearning. It’s… Read more »
Not only am I a Calvin – ok, I imagine myself to be a Calvin – but if I ever has a child, I’d want a Calvin.
Listen, I realize we’re supposed to pick one. But some of us have dual-weaknesses. For instance, I am socially retarded, although I try, like Charlie. So I go into my mind and come up with fantasies and stories and conversations that never happened. That’s why I write. But since I must pick one… wait. Allan, you pick for me. (Making you pick is kinda a Charlie Brown move.)
In that case, you’re totally Hobbes–because the world doesn’t yet know how awesome you really are. Or you’re a figment of my imagination.
Aww. Well, shucks. (Feeling Charlie Brown about that.) And for you, of course, I pick Hobbes, although your Charlie moon is in retrograde. Also, please keep your imagination active, or I could vanish without a trace.
I’m gonna hafta assert that I’ve been a bit of both actually. I tried leading a baseball team way back in elementary school and very few kids on my team came out to play the games. Grr! Since then, I’ve tried to be more Calvin than Charlie Brown. I mean who wouldn’t want “Spaceman Spiff” daydreams or the ability to temper your father (or mother) by a popularity poll??