Rotary Club of PlimmertonWendy gave us the Viewpoint tonight.
She said,
'Some of you might recall that Peanuts debuted in 1950 in the States. Developed by Charles Schulz, ‘Peanuts’ ran for nearly 50 years in 75 countries.
'I think many of the thousands of cartoons that Charles Schulz created have a bearing on how we got back in touch with who we are during lock-down
'Speaking personally, I absolutely loved Level 4. In the frenetic lives we lead – and which have sneaked up on us gradually over the years so that it felt totally normal – some of us might have misplaced who we truly are. We have to know who we are before we can work out what we can do and what we can have.
'During Level 4 we had time to stop and smell the roses like Snoopy and Woodstock.
'We had time to reconnect with our true friends – and family. Charlie Brown and Snoopy know the Definition of a Friend.
'We couldn’t do this physically but we might have thought and felt it often. Like Snoopy surprising Charlie Brown, it was something I felt when my shopping was delivered by a friend with no thought of needing thanks.
'We didn’t have to get up early if we didn’t want to and we had time to talk to friends and family at a distance and, even though life was different and sometimes strange, there were things we could laugh about. As Snoopy and Woodstock experienced, a good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.
'Lock-down wasn’t all good. We heard really sad stories about people who had lost loved ones and we mourned with their inability to be with them at the end. But we could think as Charlie Brown did.
'And sometimes the distance feels almost unbearable, separated as we are from those we miss the most, as Charlie Brown said.
'And the only thing we can do at these times is to emulate what Snoopy says.
'And then Level 4 came to an end and we moved through 3 and 2 to where we are today. How long did it take us to slip back into the frenetic life again and be subjected to life as, for some of us, it had been before Level 4? Do we remember, like Charlie Brown and Snoopy, how to ‘be’ and therefore control our responses to the odd unwanted situation?
'Are we strong enough to think like Charlie Brown and shrug off criticism and misplaced comments that occasionally come our way?
'Speaking personally, I’m with Charlie Brown about the smile on my face.
'Because what Charlie Brown says to Linus is absolutely right.
'My hope is that everyone can join friends like Linus, Snoopy, Charlie and Sally Brown and experience these blessings.
'As Snoopy says, All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt!
'My Viewpoint is this; Let’s remember how much time we had during Level 4 lockdown to be a lot kinder to ourselves and each other.