Charles Schulz, Peanuts (October 30, 1960 & October 27, 29, 31, 2014)

Waiting for the Great Pumpkin Year after year around Halloween time, Linus is in his Pumpkin Patch waiting to welcome The Great Pumpkin's coming. Sometimes, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy are with him, but most of the time, he is alone. Some say Charles Schulz is talking religion transforming Halloween into Christmas the way kids wait for gifts from Santa Claus bringing toys to good children in the world. Waiting for a long time to reach one's goal brings more joy than instant gratification— Edison inventing incandescent light, Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk, Edmund Hillary's conquest of Mt. Everest, Bannister breaking the four-minute mile. Linus is practicing patience— a virtue lost in today's world— who has time to wait for a soul mate the way Tristan did for Iseult, Dante for Beatrice, Héloïse for Abélard— true love is a long-maturing process like fine wine needing time for aging. Linus feels The Great Pumpkin will come to his Patch because it's the most sincere— How endearing! The sage Chou Tun-yi said: "Sincerity is the foundation of the sage." How true! Having a sincere heart will bring sages and all good things to those who wait.             Peter Y. Chou             Mountain View, 10-31-2014