And That's Life...: I Want a Mr. Feeny!

I was browsing through the aisles at Wal-Mart today to see if any new DVDs had come out and I came upon the final season of Boy Meets World. This was one of my favorite TV shows growing up. I loved Cory and Topanga and rooted for them no matter how many fights and break-ups they had. I thought Eric was hilarious and his childhood naivety mixed with pure craziness kept me entertained. Eric was in a close tie with my other favorite character, Mr. Feeny! I still love Mr. Feeny to this day and I found his bond with Eric to be completely endearing as he constantly supported Eric, though with a slightly bewildered face.Who could forget the Eric doll that he presents to Mr. Feeny in the last episode so that Mr. Feeny won't miss him....Feeny, Fa-Fa-Fa-Feeny! Fee-ny! I loved it!

I always wanted a Mr. Feeny. I wanted a neighbor who stood by my fence and gave me great advice with a hint of sarcastic splendor. On Home Improvement they had Mr. Wilson and he was pretty awesome but nothing beats Mr. Feeny. He supported the kids, calmed the parents and guided them all, though often in subtle ways so they could figure it out themselves...and he did all of it while usually sporting a nifty sweater vest! I don't know about everyone else but my neighbors NEVER were this awesome. We had an old lady who used to throw stuff in our yard, a crazy lady who made our lives difficult and the typical neighbors who never, EVER, introduced themselves in fear of human contact. Sure, we had some nice ones and I had neighborhood kids to play with but no Mr. Feeny. Did anybody ever have a Mr. Feeny or is he a fantasy that TV created in my mind to measure how sucky my neighbors could be? If anybody had a wise, older man with a sweater vest for a neighbor, please let me know because I want to live in that neighborhood!

Alas, I have no Mr. Feeny but I have the joy he brought me. I will never forget one of my favorite episodes where he and Cory ride the new roller coaster to prove to Mr.Turner and Eric that they are dangerous, not the safe cookie-cutter people that they are viewed as. They enter with Mr. Feeny patting the car and saying, "Let's light this candle!" They exit the coaster, wide-eyed and in different seats with Mr. Feeny exclaiming that he was thrown forward and "had to run in front of the car!" Not only was this guy the best neighbor ever, he was hilarious!

I know I will sound old saying this but they just don't make TV like they used to. This is still one of my favorite TV shows. I now have the urge to go buy all the seasons, something I am amazed I don't already own! Enjoy the clips below, they are some of my favorites! (Oh and let me know if you find that neighborhood with a Mr. Feeny!)

The Roller Coaster