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Bits & Pieces: Home Delivery

Quotes from the magazine Bits & Pieces

The late Earle Nightingale, writer and publisher of inspirational and motivational newsletters, once told a story about a boy named Sparky. For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, algebra, and English. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. There was a consolation match; he lost that too.

Throughout his youth Sparky was awkward socially. He was not actually disliked by the other students; no one cared that much. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours. There's no way to tell how he might have done at dating. Sparky never once asked a girl to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down.

Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates...everyone knew it. So he rolled with it. Sparky had made up his mind early in life that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.

However, one thing was important to Sparky  drawing.

He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook. The cartoons were turned down. Despite this particular rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to become a professional artist.

After completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork, and the subject for a cartoon was suggested. Sparky drew the proposed cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all the other drawings he submitted. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios.

He had been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser.

So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons. He described his childhood self  a little boy loser and chronic underachiever. The cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had such lack of success in school and whose work was rejected again and again was Charles Schulz. He created the "Peanuts" comic strip and the little cartoon character whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in kicking a football  Charlie Brown.

A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz (1922  2000), Creator of the "Peanuts" Gang

Bits & Pieces: Home Delivery Quotes from the magazine Bits & Pieces

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), February 25, 2000

Answers

Thank you, Cherri. There's hope for us all.

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 25, 2000.

And now we know the REST of the story!

-- (nemesis@awol.com), February 25, 2000.

I only wish I could have been as successful as Charlie Brown. Sheesh! I remember some of my best times in childhood were spent reading those paperback collections of Peanuts.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 25, 2000.

There was another inspirational story about a guy who owned a restaurant successful enough so he turned down a $250,000 offer for it. But when the interstate went through miles from his restaurant, business dried up and he went broke. Damn, he should have taken that offer.

So he took stock of his assets, and realized his ability to cook chicken was his best bet. He was Colonel Sanders, and he started KFC. And *this* time, when he was offered $3 million for his rights to the name and his likeness, he grabbed it. Then he watched those he sold out to make billions. And eventually the $3 million was gone, and he had to make ends meet making ads for the owners of his name and likeness.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), February 25, 2000.

Flint, did you know that early in his Chicken days the Colonel teamed up with a guy named Dave Thomas and they put up 4 or 5 KFCs in the Columbus, Ohio area. As we all know Mr. Thomas went on to form Wendys (named after his Daughter) and became a multi-zillionaire.

-- Sifting (through@the.rubble), February 25, 2000.

Gee...next time I want to feel really hopeful, I'll call Flint...NOT!

-- (Huh@huh.wha), February 25, 2000.

Flint,

Good to read that you are posting again. Perhaps in this, the post apocaliptic times, I will better understand your thoughts.

Sincerely,

-- Uhhmmm... (JFCP81A@aol.com), February 26, 2000.