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On It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Charlie Kelly is a loveable loser with a couple screws loose. He’s frequently looked down upon as a dimwit by the rest of his Paddy’s Pub cohorts and is usually saddled with awful tasks and even worse luck. Yet, through it all, Charlie bounces back to live another day and clean another toilet, usually with a smile on his face. How does he manage to do it? Well, sit back, grab a sock and a can of spray paint, and take stock of five simple life lessons we could all learn from Charlie Kelly.
Life Lesson 1: There Is No Task Too Menial
Mopping floors. Cleaning toilets. Changing kegs. Catching rats. It’s all in a day’s work for Charlie Kelly. In fact, these day-to-day janitorial tasks that keep Paddy’s Pub running are actually referred to as “Charlie Work.” Neither Dee, Dennis, Mac, or Frank want to roll up their sleeves to do the grunt work that Charlie does on a regular basis. In fact, (as shown in the Season 9 episode, “Flowers for Charlie,”) the rest of the gang have demonstrated that they lack the mental and/or physical capabilities it takes to actually do Charlie work. (A fact that speaks volumes.) Without Charlie doing Charlie work, Paddy’s could not stay in business. Charlie teaches us that even the smallest, grossest, most disgusting and degrading tasks are necessary to keep things running smoothly. Thanks, Charlie!
Life Lesson 2: Persistence is Key
Never give up. Those three words have been a mantra for Charlie throughout most of his life. In high school, his Green Man mascot idea was pooh-pooh’d. That didn’t stop him from continually resurrecting his all-green bodysuit to trot out Green Man at a Philadelphia Eagles audition (“The Gang Gets Invincible”) or to throw down a challenge to the (also green) Philly Phanatic for baseball mascot supremacy (“The World Series Defense”). Even when Green Man is constantly put down by the gang – and most people in general – it does not stop Charlie from continuing to try. One more area of life where Charlie refuses to not take no for an answer is when it comes to love. For nine seasons, Charlie has continued to pursue his unrequited love, The Waitress. Charlie goes out of his way to stalk… err… impress her – even writing and staging an original musical. Yet, his love for the aloof young woman is constantly spurned to the point of The Waitress actually taking out a restraining order against Charlie. Charlie’s bizarre, never-say-die attitude encourages us to throw caution to the wind and not worry about life’s little restraining orders! They’re just temporary hurdles on the road of persistence!
Life Lesson 3: Emotional Turmoil Is the Best Muse Ever!
It’s not easy being Charlie. It’s assumed that Charlie was sexually abused as a child (“Charlie Got Molested”) by his creepy Uncle Jack. (Charlie frequently denies this or has blocked it out intentionally, despite the fact that the rest of the gang acknowledges it.) He’s unlucky in love with The Waitress. The worst of the worst grunt work tasks are assigned to him on the regular. And most of his ideas are usually shot down by the rest of the gang. As a result, Charlie is something of a tortured artist with a strong creative side buried under several layers of boiled denim. He often mines his personal pain as a creative wellspring, using it to write lyrics to rock ballads and stage elaborate musical productions of his own creation (“The Nightman Cometh”). And sometimes, when his own private pain isn’t enough to get those creative juices flowing, Charlie has a little bit of an assist in the creative department by huffing glue or paint. Charlie encourages us to tap into our creative side and make artistic little lemons from life’s lemonade.
Life Lesson 4: One Man’s Squalor is Another Man’s Home
Charlie and his roommate / possible biological father Frank Reynolds share a squalid, single-room apartment in Philadelphia. Despite the soiled couch / pullout bed, lack of plates or eating utensils, lack of heat, and open jars of urine around the place, Charlie takes a great deal of pride in his apartment and his possessions. When Mac busts in and tosses around a metal folding chair, Charlie takes umbrage with it, exclaiming, “Hey! Don’t do that! That’s my good chair!” Charlie’s “good chair” is either covered in bird droppings or (as he insists) toothpaste, but it doesn’t mean he devalues what little he has. Charlie Kelly may not have much, but he’s grateful for the things he does have.
Life Lesson 5: When in Doubt, Be the “Wild Card”
Every so often, Charlie plunks down his “wild card.” It’s his status as the unpredictable member of the gang that makes life interesting. Sure, sometimes Charlie adopting bizarre mannerisms, accents, and costumes to create crazy characters is what sometimes puts the kibosh on the gang’s schemes… But it wasn’t like half of these hare-brained schemes would work anyway, amiright? Charlie teaches us that it’s okay to go a little nuts, think outside the box, and have fun with whatever it is you’re doing… Like cutting the brakes on your friend’s car.
About the guest Author:
Lana is a content author with Dish Systems, a great source for the best Dish Network deals and promotions.