Cartoons and Crazy Characters!

Cartoons and Crazy Characters!

By Allen Merritt ©2018

I was driving around this week and spotted the characters Deadpool and Darth Vader walking along with each other heading toward an area where they might be able to make some tips posing for pictures. 

These two actors were fully decked out except for they were carrying their head pieces/masks in their arms. They were just two people walking along in a normal world looking slightly out of place. Yet, when you see them it makes sense. They're entertainers. They're here to intrigue us, knock us out of our funk, wake us up from the daily grind and make us smile.

Naturally, it caught my attention and made me smile, which is a good thing, considering all the crazy characters running around out there in the real world causing damage.

I have personally done a lot of costumed character work from Bugs Bunny to Daffy Duck, as well as a chicken, a blob of toothpaste and a slew of Care bears. It’s hard work making eyes light up with excitement!

Cartoons and cartoon characters are meant to highlight the absurd in life. They make light of our silly side. More importantly they are commonly known to be over the top, blown out of proportion and a colorful mix of our crazy ideas and experiences. In other words, they are for the purposes of having fun with ourselves. They are not to be taken literally! 

As a result of seeing these two gentlemen, I began to wonder about the negative impacts and the reality of those individuals in the news demonstrating their dark sides. How should everyone else keep their chins up in light of such events which are documented daily? It’s hard NOT to want to say or do something.

Moreover, it's challenging to find a sense of humor in the heat of the moment, but this is where focusing on positivity aides us in better well being.

These days, some shenanigans are so far out there you can't help but smile, laugh, shake your head and roll your eyes. However, there are many incidents which strike a chord internally and cause one to want to lash out. The oddball things that people do are easy to handle. The extreme and truly hurtful and damaging incidents are harder to contend with, especially when the consequences of such actions take away or demean life.

For example, I read a news story of a man regularly defecating on a football field where he was a superintendent. My immediate reaction was, "Wow! That is crazy. Why would he even do that?"

On the other hand, there was another story of a man calling 9-1-1 a week or so after he shot someone in the head and threw his body in the bathtub. He notified emergency services because the stench was so bad he couldn't stand it anymore. Another crazy situation!

These sorts of crazy characters shed light on the world we live in. They demonstrate good reason to stay alert, aware and focus on living each day with a positive spirit. The more we spread a little light, love, good manners and work toward not hurting ourselves and other people the better chance we have of understanding a more peaceful existence. At least that is what I get out of some of what I see.

It’s bad enough these crazy things happen. Why exacerbate the result by adding fuel to the fire?

In any case, spotting Deadpool and Darth vader reminded me that some characters are here to make us smile and others are not. Despite it all, maintaining composure, integrity and good character remains key in handling difficult situations where we may want to initially return the favor with unkind words or actions.

I suppose the best any of us can do is to acknowledge these events as they happen, do the best we can and stay to true to ourselves while remembering were all in this world together. 

Therefore, living positively and with good intentions only helps encourage everyone around us to do more of the same.

I think that is a good thing!

Enjoy the upcoming week living life on a positive note and with a  sense of greater appreciation.

Cheers!