It's like when he tries to hit on a girl and he uses the corniest pick-up lines. Or when he dances and it's super embarrassing. Or when he tries to rap and says the stupidest rhymes. Or when he tries to be tough and fights a guy that's bigger than him. Or how he always knocks Carlton for being such a dork, but then goes out and acts like the biggest fool at a party. There's so many more instances, but the basic point is that Will always acts like he is the shit and instead he embarrasses himself. I can identify with Will. I enjoy nearly everything I say and do and am thoroughly entertained by myself at all times. Nobody else sees it that way. Will and I are just obnoxious. But does that stop us from doing it? Hell no. It just makes us want to do it more because we know we can get Geoffrey to crack a smile. We know that someday Uncle Phil will have no choice but to laugh at our jokes. He's the biggest critic of them all.
But watching tonight I got sad about Uncle Phil instead of laughing at Will. I wish he was still alive. I never met him, but I can tell you that he is one of the best Dads ever. He already had to take care of Hilary, Carlton and Ashley (anyone with kids could tell you that even three well behaved children can be a handful) but that didn't stop him from taking one more into his house. And even though Will was just his nephew (through marriage, so he wasn't even blood family) he treated him like a son and always looked out for him. It didn't matter how many times Will made fun of him or got in trouble; Uncle Phil was always there for him. Will didn't really know his real Father, and when he did get to see him, his Dad was a real disappointment. I think that only made him appreciate Uncle Phil more.
Right now I'm watching the episode where Will goes down to the Pool Hall and plays against that big tough guy and loses a bunch of money and the Mercedes Benz. He got hustled in the worst way by the guy's squirrelly little friend. He goes back to Uncle Phil and has to admit his mistake (he wasn't even supposed to borrow the Benz or go there in the first place). Although Uncle Phil is mad, he still goes down to the Pool Hall and hustles the tough guy and wins back the car and the money. He is upset at what Will did and that he screwed up, but at the same time he always has his back. He helps him out, but he also teaches him a lesson. Uncle Phil is the best. I wish I would have known him in life. Maybe in death I will get to meet him.
When I get to Heaven I'm going to hang out with Timmy first. I can't wait to see that kid again. But after that I'm going to hang out with Uncle Phil. He was a straight up man who believed in truth and justice and always stood up for what is right. He was a man that always put his family before him and tried to impart honesty, morals, intelligent thinking and the proper way to act in civilized society. The kids didn't always listen and some might argue that Will corrupted his cousins with his laid back attitude, but I think they all helped each other as they grew into adults. Uncle Phil was always there for his family and seemed to help Will the most. Hilary, Carlton and Ashley probably all would have ended up OK if he wasn't so strict on them. But Will needed guidance and direction in his life. There is no way Will would have ever gone to college in West Philly. He wouldn't have grown up at all. He would have been the same stupid kid who got in one little fight with a couple of guys who were up to no good who started making trouble in the neighborhood. If his Mom wouldn't have gotten a little scared and said, "You're movin' with your Auntie and Uncle in Bel Air." his life would have taken a drastically different turn. He has Uncle Phil to thank for the man he has become. We could all stand to learn a thing or two from him. I miss you Uncle Phil. Thanks for being a father to me as well. And yes, I am drunk. This is the kind of thing that is in my head when I've had a few. I start missing the people who had a big influence on my life. Hard to imagine my life without them. But I always have the reruns. For an hour around 9pm and around 1am, Mon - Fri on Nick at Nite. That's 2 of the greatest hours of my day. 2 more hours I get to spend with Uncle Phil, Will Smith and the rest of the Banks family. I wish there was something of more substance in my head than some memories of a TV character that I never met, but that's how it goes someday. What characters from the small screen are in your head?
- pookon -
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