Look Out - Here It Comes Again . . .

It is not my intention to give a dissertation on the Charles Schulz' Peanuts Comic Strip. There is lots of material available online for you to learn more about this strip and its late creator. There is now a Museum in California and you can even purchase items online from their store. Every weekend in our newspaper, they post a "Peanuts Classic" strip so we never forget the lessons Mr. Schulz tried to teach us.

My Canadian minister, Rev. David McBride had a collection of Peanuts ties and once lent me a book about Mr. Schulz who had a background of Christian education.

This weekend, I was reminded vividly of one of the most famous strips. It is repeated and repeated, but still - despite several other teachings from psychology and conventional wisdom and the vision of this particular strip, I and I am sure many others, continue this behavior.

What behavior is that? Well, someone is mean to you - or at the very least, not particularly nice. You feel bad about how they treated you. Then, maybe a couple of months later, that person appears up close and personal, seeming very pleasant. You presume they may have changed how they feel and you respond with a well-intentioned response and . . . WHAM . . . they "get" you again!

The repetitive behavior that replicates this is Charlie Brown starting the Football Season fresh in the fall. He is going to kick the ball and Lucy is there holding the ball for Charlie to kick. Charlie remembers how Lucy has behaved in the past, but he always gives her the benefit of the doubt. He is just sure that this time, Lucy is going to be nice.

Wham . . . Charlie moves forward to kick the ball and at just the "right" moment, Lucy removes the ball and Charlie . . . well, Charlie falls flat on his fanny.

Yup, it happens every time. Why? Because Charlie always gives Lucy the benefit of the doubt. Charlie always tries to see the good in Lucy.

It is a metaphor for how so many of us try to forgive and forget and often it works just fine. But, sometimes it does not. Our teachings tell us that we must always keep on trying . . . and I guess there will always be lots of Lucy's in our lives!