The Thing About Charlie

Anyone who has EVER watched a Charlie Brown cartoon knows that in pretty much every single episode (and in many, many, many of the comic strips), Charlie is duped by Lucy's provocative request to kick the football while she holds it for him.

And in every single episode (and in many, many, many of the comic strips), Lucy YANKS that football right out from under the naive and trusting Charlie.

And he falls flat on his back.

I imagine he had the wind knocked right out of him.  

Every. Single. Time.

That sweet Charlie, so trusting, was taken advantage of by someone who dangled a promise in front of him and yanked it away, time and time again. No remorse, no regret, she just kept taunting him over and over. 

But let's face it: he let her. He enabled her heartless, rotten behavior (because you have to be pretty heartless and rotten to take advantage of someone like that).

The thing about Charlie is, he believed in the GOOD in people. He believed in their REDEMPTION. And so poor Charlie is probably destined to have that football yanked out from under him time and time again.

And that's all I have to say about that.