Running That Extra MileMichael Pementel

If you’ve watched even a season of Parks and Recreation, you know that there is a ton of wisdom to go around. Whether it’s Leslie, Ron, or Tom, someone normally has some form of insight to take to heart. For me there was one character in particular who really struck a chord: Chris Traeger.

Now I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t a fan. I did find bits of his overly positive attitude to be funny at times, but I thought all he was going to be was comic relief. And for a while that’s all Chris was; it wasn’t until he got depressed that I began to follow him more closely. As the show progressed, Chris couldn’t handle all his failed relationships, or the fact that he was getting older. He started to feel alone and believe that life had no point to it. When his depression started to develop further it made me think about how Chris was first introduced to us. Incredibly upbeat, super positive, always going that extra distance to stay healthy. It clicked with me that this was a person who was trying to run away from what upset him, trying to avoid all that could possibly hurt him. He wanted to stay young and find love, but he was being hit with the reality that his body was getting worn down, and that no

Columbia College Chicago (2015)

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matter how much he tried, some relationships were just not meant to be.

With the help of all his friends however, Chris eventually learns how to begin coping with his issues, facing them head on. And with his newfound look on life, and faith within himself, he does work towards being happier once more. By working on himself, he is able to eventually be in the right mindset, which leads to him and Ann to get back together.

I ended up by the end of the show relating to Chris more than anyone else. I used to be someone who constantly tried to run from their problems, who wanted to avoid their depression, avoid their OCD. Eventually I had to face my own monsters. I realized that if I didn’t try to face my problems, they would consume me. And over the years I developed ways to cope, I learned how to handle whatever struggle may come my way. I was also very lucky to have supportive friends and family by my side. Chris Traeger reminded me of who I use to be, and who I feel like today.

On the night Leslie and Ben get married, Andy is in the dumps that he failed his police exam. He feels like a failure and that he isn’t worth much. Chris walks in and says this to him; I think it’s something that we should all keep in mind for when life gets difficult:

“Andy, this is a very important moment for you. How we deal with tragedy defines who we are. I used to be terrible at it. Beyond terrible. You are not going to let this deflate you. You are going to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and we will figure out what the next step is.”

Watercooler Journal 23.3 (2015)

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“Eventually I had to face my own monsters. If I didn’t try to face my problems, they would consume me.”