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On a long drive home from school today, I remembered a memory
of mine from almost eleven years ago. Phil had decided that it just was
not acceptable that I didn't know how to drive a standard. So we piled
into his magic van and were driving around the Exit 10 area, near where
I lived. I pulled into Longkill Park to turn around, and managed to
stall the van just as a cop was driving past. Immediately, the red
lights went on and the cops had everyone out of the van and did a
thorough search of the back. After about five minutes into the search,
one cop comes around to where they had us standing, with a slightly limp
gorilla head in one hand and his flashlight in the other. He says to
Phil, "Don't you think it's suspicious keeping a gorilla suit in the
back of your van?" Without missing a beat Phil says, "Why? Where do you
keep yours?" Phil represents my first
timid steps into adulthood, while still seeing the world through young
eyes and marveling at the vastness of it all. Phil was the courageous
one with gleaming eyes, rubbing his palms together, wanting desperately
to suck the marrow from life and to experience all he could. I admired
that quality so much in him, mainly because I was scared to do it
myself. There was never a person Phil couldn’t relate to (in some form
or another) or a situation he couldn’t handle. I admired his courage,
his wit, and feel blessed that I was able to know him.
I miss you Phil.
Alex
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