In an effort to capitalize on the approaching New Year, I created sixteen calendar classifieds on USFreeAds.com (what can I say, I’m a shameless opportunist). The calendars attract a fair amount of views and exhibit everything from admired icons to well-known companies, politicians, athletes and popular bands. However, the calendars that continue to attract the most views and the most sales to-boot, are the Peanuts Calendars. So, why is it that we still love Peanuts by Charles Schulz? It's because they're still lots of fun!

I’m a huge fan of Charlie Brown and the gang, but I never thought that the Peanuts inspired calendars would outperform the other items. Yet, the characters that Charles Schulz created are still beloved more than forty years after their inception. We’ll examine why in this lighthearted commentary. So unwind, grab a cup of java and enjoy!

I was around eleven years old. My mother and I were sitting in the living room watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas“ while hot chocolate simmered on the kitchen stove (I know it’s a bit corny, but cut me some slack; I’m trying to create a mood). In the cartoon, Charlie Brown is talking to Lucy and questions “What is it you want for Christmas”, she responds “Real-estate”. Although I didn’t completely understand what real-estate was at the time, after the cartoon ended, I immediately researched the word in the dictionary. I must have leaned twenty words or more as a result of watching Peanuts. I was so impressed with the cartoons dialect that my mother decided to buy me a small collection of Charlie Brown books.

Believe it or not, I actually became acquainted with classical music as a result of watching and listening to ‘Schroeder’ play the piano. While I’ll never win any spelling bees, the animated film “A Boy Named Charlie Brown” inspired me to work on my spelling skills. Two of the more contemporary Charlie Brown films, “Bon Voyage Charlie Brown” and “What Have We Learned Charlie Brown” astutely and respectfully dealt with issues such as becoming an exchange student in France, and the Normandy Invasion of World War II. Awesome!

Although the Peanuts cartoon is more than fifty five years old, it’s a breath of fresh air when you compare it to some of the dreadful animations that children are bombarded with today. According to Phil Mooney, a historian for Coca-Cola, the cola company sponsored “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for the first time in 1965. After the telecast, they received a noticeable amount of fan mail. An example of some of the comments are listed below:

1. “I don’t know when any program has delighted as many adults, as well as children”.
2. “It is our hope that “Peanuts” may find a permanent place in the TV realm”.
3. “Bless you for Charlie Brown! And let’s have more of him real soon”.

According to the Nielsen Ratings, on December 8th of 2008, approximately 11.37 viewers watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. It was the most viewed show of its time slot.

I could say so many wonderful things about the wit of Charles Schulz, but as the saying goes, ‘A picture speaks a thousand words and a video speaks even more’ (ok, I made that second part up). In any event, check it out for yourself.

It’s only proper that I end this delightful tribute to Peanuts by Charles Schultz by listing a few famous quotes from Charlie Brown and the gang. I sincerely hope that you had fun.

• “In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back.”
• “It always looks darkest just before it gets totally black.”
• “I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time.”
• “This is my depressed stance. When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand. The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better. If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this.”
• “That's the secret to life . . . replace one worry with another.”
• “There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters . . . I could be their leader.”
• “Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."
• “No problem is so big or so complicated that it can't be run away from!”
• “Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.”
• “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm Happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?”