LJI Week 7: Steadfast, Unalterable, Unyielding!

[alycewilson]

This is my entry for LJ Idol (http://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org), Week 7. The topic this week is "Steadfast."


A pillowcase featuring Charlie Brown trying to hit a ball


When my favorite pillowcase, the one with purple psychedelic flowers, was in the laundry, I selected my second favorite. Though technically my brother's, since it went with his matching Peanuts sheets, I liked the stark white pillow with its blue line drawing of Charlie Brown, ready to swing at a baseball, his face all grim determination. In blue block letters next to him were the words, "I'm steadfast, unalterable, unyielding!"

In love with both the words -- which I asked Mom to define -- and the sentiment, I pressed my face against that moment of possibility. Charlie Brown, caught just before trying to hit the ball. I identified with that determination, that idea that somehow, if you just keep trying, if you never stop believing in yourself, you can achieve anything. Or, in Charlie Brown's case, you could maybe, someday, if you keep trying, catch even a little piece of the ball.

I just found an image of the pillow online, and my son, KFP, saw it over my shoulder. "What does that mean?" he asked, and I explained it. "But he's Charlie Brown," he said, knowing that said it all.

True. But at least the pillow gives Charlie Brown a chance. Do you know what the other side contained, the side that I never turned face up? A red line drawing of Lucy Van Pelt, in a cheerleading outfit with pompons, shouting with giddy glee, "Pompon girls can't resist a superstar!" Even in those days before anyone could declare themselves officially "woke," my little-girl response was "Really? What is this, a misprint?"


The back of the pillowcase, showing Lucy Van Pelt as a pompon girl

Whoever designed that pillowcase got it all wrong. Lucy, the smart, sarcastic girl who, to my chagrin, my dad sometimes insisted I resembled, would only cheer on the sidelines as a lark. Maybe in a starry-eyed moment of weakness, she might try cheerleading as a scheme to attract resolutely uninterested Schroeder. But once that trick failed, I'm pretty sure she would have thrown down her pompons, grabbed a football, and lobbed it at his helmeted head, which is, after all, a much surer way of getting his attention.

Anyone who really knew Lucy would have chosen a different quote to represent her, such as "The world revolves around the sun? That's odd. I thought it revolved around me." Or "I'm not a fuss budget anymore. Now I'm just plain ornery!" Or "It's amazing how stupid you can be when you're in love."

How about "I like talking but I hate listening"? Or "Everybody is entitled to my opinion"? Or "Nobody tells me what to do! Nobody!" With so many bon mots, why go with the vapid pompon-girl quote?

I know my mom implicitly agreed with me from the tortured look she would give me, approximately five years later, when I brought home a permission slip to join the school cheerleader squad. A modern woman who had spent her lifetime fighting stereotypes, she finally said quietly, "You can join if you drop ballet." Ballet, taught by the gentle-voiced Mrs. Treon, filled with positive girls who made clumsy me feel graceful and comfortable with myself, won out.

That's OK. In those days when I lacked an internal editor, I was just as likely to yell "Your stupidity is appalling" from the sidelines as "Go, team!" I have always played things my own way, just like Lucy. When I turned that second-choice pillow Charlie Brown side up, I knew that I was the one who was steadfast, unalterable and unyielding.

Comments

[murielle]

Love this! And yeah, so not a Lucy-thing. I always loved Charlie Brown's determination, his positivity, n spite of his reality. He's a great role model! Of course, my favorite was Snoopy. (Bet you're not surprised at all.)

This was fun, and insightful, and full of lovely little tidbits about you.

Brava!

Say hi to KFP for me. :-)

[alycewilson]

I'm not surprised that you would favor Snoopy. His carefree creativity sounds appropriate for you. Thanks for the comments. I've been thinking about my mom lately and all the little things she did for me that helped me become who I am.

KFP is still drawing comics nearly every day. I'll ask him for a couple favorites and upload them soon, then share the links to the Green Room. I'm going to talk to him about Second Chance Idol. Maybe he'll jump back in!

[bellatrixe]

I always loved Charlie Brown's determination, his positivity, n spite of his reality. He's a great role model! Of course, my favorite was Snoopy me too! I love Charlie but Snoopy was/is still my favourite <3

[alycewilson]

Snoopy's playfulness and imagination were always a lot of fun to experience with him.

[bellatrixe]

yes! :D his imagination and creativity always drew me to him!

[favoritebean_writes]

This is such a neat view into your inner past. And woah at that misprint on the back. That is definitely out of character for Lucy.

[alycewilson]

I know, right? My brother only figures tangentially into this piece, but my dad called him Linus to my Lucy. He even carried around a blue blanket, which he nicknamed Manky.

[eeyore_grrl]

My how the times have changed... at least for many of us. The overt sexism of the really-not-so-distant past leads us straight to where we are now. Fighting against those types of stereotypes and the long time rule of only white men. And, as they say, some of my best friends are white men... And I don't really hate the race or gender here, I just want people to be able to look at who they are and where they are from in an honest light. That includes acknowledging your privilege when you have it. I admit that I have it as an educated white girl. My many ear piercings and various-colored hair does detract, but I don't get pulled over randomly (and we live a block from the police station).

I hope ballet continued to treat you well. :-)

[alycewilson]

Ballet did continue to treat me well! I went all the way to the top levels of Mrs. Treon's classes until it finally had to give way to high school marching band. The young women I met in that class remain some of my favorite hometown people. Though a lot of them were better dancers than I, all I ever felt from them was positivity and support.

I've certainly learned a lot about myself and the world since those days. I used to think of myself as an aberration because I didn't fit the female stereotypes within our culture. My internal perspective of myself was always sort of gender neutral. Try convincing people of that, however, when you have curves!

But yes, I acknowledge that I am privileged as an educated white middle-class woman, married to a man. I'm always striving, however, to learn from others and support equality across all groups.

[bsgsix]

This worked out really well, so I'm glad you went with it (going back to our Idol discussion on FB yesterday)!

And yeah, what an... un-Lucy-like thing to say! Funny how things have changed so much in the past few decades, too. If I saw that on a pillowcase NOW, I'd kind of be appalled. At the time, it was probably just damned odd, being so out of character.

It's hard not to yell "your stupidity is appalling" most days, though, isn't it? At least we do have internal editors. :)

[alycewilson]

Thanks for encouraging me! I've found it's often best to go with my first instinct on a topic, as long as I can figure out a direction to take it.

You know, I used to glower when my dad called me Lucy, but now I have enough perspective to identify which traits of mine caused him to say so. Back then, I really was bossy. I even talked for my brother when he was little until my parents convinced me to let him talk for himself!

[rayaso]

What a wonderful peak a the early you! I agree -- Lucy was never a cheerleader. She was strong, sarcastic, and sometimes a little mean, but never a cheerleader.

[the_eternal_overthinker]

Coincidentally, I just read a coffee table book on Peanuts which has life/love quotes and it had the one about stupidity and love by Lucy :) And I totally agree with your Lucy interpretation. I like where you took the prompt and made it personal as well as relate-able since we all know these characters. And it made for a good read :)

[halfshellvenus]

I saw the pictures for this on my friends' page before I read it, and when I glanced at the captions, thought the same thing as KFP for Charlie Brown, and for Lucy... WHAT? How wrong is the idea of Lucy as a pom pom girl?

Because you're utterly right-- Lucy wouldn't cheer someone else, she would wade right in and do it herself, and rock the socks off of it.

My mother forbade us to even consider cheearleading, and I'm glad of that. My younger sister resented it, but what an utterly useless occupation. Sadly, when I was a teenager, I imagined cheerleading would have died out by now. How wrong I was. We even have neighborhood flyers for rec programs that involve football for boys and 'cheer' for girls, because you don't want to wait too long before getting those stereotypes firmly in place!

[bleodswean]

Lovely! And the images of the pillowcase really showcased this inspiring "memoir" - nicely done!

[onecheapdate]

This is a really cool use of the plot because it is so unique to an experience in your life. The word is LITERALLY on a pillowcase that is linked to a transformative period for you. I agree - Lucy had a plethora of quotes that would be much better fitting and way more her style. Cheerleading... ehhhhh. Though I guess one thing I'll say is that I'm glad some of the focus has shifted towards competition cheerleading and rewarding and recognizing squads for their own talents rather than just the side-line style cheerleading.

[dmousey]

I laughed heartily through this! So did the hubs as I read it to him! Thank you for that! 😊🐁🐭✌

[sonreir]

This is a great take on the prompt. You had a great mom, and you write about the relationship here with her very well.

[bellatrixe]

I really enjoyed reading this. The quote really isn't Lucy at all and just the idea it gives off that she couldn't possibly be both a cheerleader and keep her intelligent personality is so tiresome but sadly not surprising!
Where I live cheerleading isn't a thing at school, though it is actually something I would have loved to have done because I've always been really interested in gymnastics. Though I am not gymnastically inclined at all, so I'm sure that would never have come to fruition, and ended badly if I had had the chance, lol.
Something that has always bothered me though is that when I say that I would like to have been able to do so, or that I see it as a sport itself, I've often had to hear patronizing comments in return!

I really don't think things have changed at all with regards to any of this either- Lucy's intelligence has seemingly vanished there because I think, unfortunately, a lot of people seem to equate femininity and such with weakness. It's so frustrating to me! Even now as an adult I still get people talking down to me and making assumptions based on things like me being a short blonde who favours dresses and fluffy sweaters.

Great piece!

[static_abyss]

I have never seen Charlie Brown, but I feel what you're daying in your entry anyway, and I can understand the frustration with the misquote. I'm glad you chose ballet and that it was good to you.

[moretta]

I couldn't agree more with all of the above! Lucy is a much better character to identify with in her true self. She's independent, truthful, sarcastic and utterly herself regardless of others.
I was also the "bossy" child. I still quite identify with her.
I'm glad that the qualities of steadfast, unyielding, and definitely true to yourself are still with you.

[adoptedwriter]

Great insight in this. My fave Peanuts character is Linus. He stands with Charlie Brown when the rest are jerks to him.

[troof_therry]

Loved the commentary on the Lucy pillow here. It's funny how a prompt like this can generate this kind of introspection on something as simple and complicated as a pillowcase.

[flipflop_diva]

I love this little peek into your childhood, even with the overtly sexist Lucy quote. I love how you've always identified with Charlie Brown — and just from reading your entries, I can definitely see that shining through all the time!