by Nicholas Vitukevich
nicholasvitukevich@project-landmine.com
I feel like everybody tried to relate to Boy Meets World growing up. Everyone either had or wanted a happy go lucky family like the Matthews. The modern day Cleavers, if you will.
Before I get way too into the article, can we just admit that the last 3 or 4 seasons were the best? I mean, late High School through college is really what defined that series. Here are some of their best moments that I found:
Anyways. Like I said, while everyone wanted or was the Matthews family, even more so everyone wanted the “perfect” relationship like Corey and Topanga. Everyone wanted to have a best friend like Shawn, a brother like Eric and a core group of friends like the pack that consumed the show.
The show taught us a lot. And maybe it’s because we grew up with them. We followed them and grew together. Corey and the “gang” were always older than we were, so maybe there was some comfort in watching them make decisions and learning from their mistakes. We watched them deal with family issues, dating problems, death, and difficult life choices.
One of the lessons I still remember was Corey’s first day of high school. Eric was already there, and it was during that period Eric was the cool guy and before his mental retardation hit. He really didn’t want anything to do with Corey, except when Corey found himself in trouble after school with the school yard bully. Eric showed up to help his brother out, even though they weren’t close. He was still there for him, and that is a lesson I always try to live by. Ultimately, the cool new teacher, Mr. Turner, showed up with his biker helmet and leather jacket to save both Corey and Eric. But it’s Eric’s thought that counts.
As much as everyone thought Corey and the Matthews were perfect and wanted to be like them, there were also the polar opposites to help offset the show. For the wholesome Corey, there was trailer trash Shawn, for Corey and Eric’s brotherly love, there was the emergence of Shawn’s half-brother Jack, and for Corey and Topanga’s perfect love affair there was the dysfunction that was Shawn and Angela.
Though through all that, they still stuck together and taught us life altering lessons.
I still remember the last episode. The goodbyes. And it taught me that goodbye’s are never easy (it also taught me that your wife will one day let your best friend move in with you, but that is neither here nor there). Which helped me along through the years. When we left high school for college, it was hard. Friends you grew up with your whole life you wouldn’t see as much anymore. But no matter how far apart, you knew you’d see the ones that mattered somehow and some way.
And when you graduated college. It was even harder. You knew these people for a shorter amount of time but you spent every waking moment with them for 4+ years. They were your roommates, classmates, sports team members, clubs partners, study group members. They did everything with you. But Boy Meets World taught you it’d be okay. And if you were real friends like they were in the show, it’d work out.
That whole theme of brotherly love, one for all and all for one is what stuck with me from Boy Meets World. And for as much quirky goodness that happened on the show, there was always some bad. Always, some argument, tragedy or confrontation that affected someone, somehow, someway.
Shawn was jelous of Taponga, Taponga jealous of Shawn. Rachael jealous that she wasn’t an original member of the group, Jack and Shawn jealous of Eric and Corey. But no matter what they worked it out. Sometimes a little too easy, and that’s probably because it’s TV and the world can be fixed in 30 or 60 minutes. But overall the values and lessons are still the same.
I’ll always remember that episode and one with the lessons I remember the most is when the “gang” almost split up. They almost aren’t friends anymore. The prank wars – Plays With Squirrels – episode. Everyone’s down each other’s throats. I think it was even a two parter so you knew shit was hitting the fan. And even though people are hating all on one another there’s a quirky little incident with Eric that gives me a lesson that I can apply to everyday life where I knew everything will be alright. There’s a scene in the future and no one talks or sees each other for another 20-or-so years. And after that flash into the future Eric tries to fix it.
In a classroom that is filled with everyone like they’re in some sort of detention that Eric’s holding them to, he writes down on a piece of paper:
Lose one friend. Lose all friends. Lose yourself.
Now as much cheese as that oozes, and as wholesome as that is, and as much as it almost makes me want to vomit, there’s some truth to it. There’s a lesson to be learned from that as there is from most of the show’s episodes. And that is probably the biggest lesson I’ve taken away from the series and carry with me to this day.
Lose one friend. Lose all friends. Lose yourself.
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