A woman on the bus line last night at Gate 224 was wearing a T-shirt that said “Living the Dream.”
(google images)
It struck me as odd, but not because she looked unhappy. She actually looked quite happy. She was dark-skinned woman–perhaps Indian, but I couldn’t be sure–huddled in line with what looked like her two teenage or young adult sons. They gave off the air of tourists.
I guess I never associated Snoopy and Woodstock or Peanuts in general with sales pitches for a good life. Is the T-shirt meant to be ironic? If so, that makes it worse. I never viewed the Peanuts gang as an ironic sort. they were very real to me growing up, flesh and blood (albeit animated) children and animals that had something important to say, but not the trite “Living the Dream.”
It’s possible I’m reading too deeply into this. Maybe it’s meant to be a sweet and simple message, to say that “the good life” can be accomplished by not striving for more, but by simply being who we are: like Snoopy is on his doghouse with Woodstock fluttering overhead. Lovely.
Or are they trying to shove something down our throats. Enforced happiness? Is the T-shirt saying, if you can’t be happy as you are no matter how miserable you might be and what circumstances you are living under, get bent?
I’m not naive. I know there is a whole line of Peanuts merchandise–greeting cards, stuffed animals, mugs, T-shirts, sleepwear–but this particular T-shirt unsettled me. Perhaps it reminded me of the scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas when Charlie Brown is crestfallen after seeing how even his dog has gone the way of commercialism by gaudily decorating his doghouse.
(google)
In retrospect, I see Charlie Brown as an undiagnosed depressive, and I can relate to that. Growing up, Mom would say I was “withdrawn” and use other words to explain away my behavior. But I think it was melancholia; even a teacher used that word to describe me. At the time I thought melancholia was a result of my “humors” being out of balance, and that I might need a blood-letting, so I was scared: the four humors being black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. I must have had an excess of black bile. Anyway, I am getting off topic here.
Back to the T-shirt. I guess it’s not doing anyone harm, but I still don’t understand it.
Suburban Hobo 
I only realised that I was melancholic as a child at age 40! I wish someone spotted it sooner…
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Abe Lincoln has been described as melancholic, if that’s any comfort (just stay away from Ford’s Theater). I, too, am a tad baffled by the T-shirt. I like the image, which suggests the “good life”, but I think there also might be a hint of irony. At least Charlie Brown wasn’t in it. The older I get the more more layers of meaning I see in Peanuts.
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I know what you mean, Matt. Charlie Brown was not a simple fellow, lots of layers there.
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He’s laying on the roof with no worries or cares so it’s living the good life?
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I like that interpretation.
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Even those of us living simply on the roof or at lease trying to be at one with ourselves gets pulled in by the madness. But that’s a part of it all, can you be Snoopy or Woodstock in your core being while the world turns and each turn tries to pull you into its’ craziness. Snoopy does decorate his house for Christmas, but we all know that he above all remembers his happiness while every bit of madness tries to pull him down. He’s having fun with it… he embraces his dragon and they are decorating for him. Now Charlie Brown just doesn’t get it! that a whole other subject. I’m not sure if anything I wrote makes sense?
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Yes, that does make sense. Thank you, JC. See how profound Peanuts can be??
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Yesterday, I fell asleep on the grass and woke up to find Scooter lying with his head cradled in my arm. It is not often that one wakes up to a dream.
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Ah. lovely.
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You do know that Schulz (Peanuts cartoonist, of course) had a very “serious” (some say “melancholy”) side to him. Who knows what this t-shirt signifies? Maybe it simply is what it is….”living THE DREAM”…. 🙂
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Oh, yes, I know. Yes, very possible.
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And what is the dream? Is it to have enough money to get on a bus and travel? (you said they looked like tourists) could it be that the woman was a Peanuts fan and loved the t-shirt? Maybe living the dream can be as simple as having your own place to live-lay on the roof and nap blissfully with a buddy. (hey, housing security here in NYC is a DREAM!!!!) I too think Peanuts was one of the deepest, philosophical comic series of its generation…and still has so much to teach us.
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Yes, that’s all possible, Nancy. And a blissful nap on your dog house (or in your house / apartment / wherever) with your buddy can be a dream as well–you’re right! yes, Peanuts is still relevant, think it will always be.
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