You know how there are moments that stick in your mind, little snippets of memories that you remember, but for no good reason?  

I have a Will Smith moment like that.  

First let me say that I never watched Fresh Prince when it was a current show.  I catch it every now and then when one of my kids has it on and I like it.  I like the intro song: Parents Just Don’t Understand, and I liked his Gettin’ Jiggy song.  I can’t remember the first Will Smith movie I , but I do remember thinking that he was okay.  

Then I saw him interviewed.  I think it was an interview with Barbara Walters, but again, I’m not certain.  That interview sticks in my mind because of something Will Smith said [I’m going off old memories here and I admit that I am probably remembering it how I want to =)].  He was being asked something about slang and Ebonics and rap [and how his music doesn’t use the same slang that other rap artists use].  

At the risk of alienating himself, Will said what he felt and he said it emphatically.  He said that in his opinion there was no excuse for people who have basic education to use bad grammar [assuming they have a rudimentary understanding of grammar].  He felt like it showed their ignorance and perpetuated a societal perception of blacks that shouldn’t be perpetuated.  He said something to the effect that education is important and if you have an education, you should not be afraid to acknowledge it and/or live your life using your education.  

I’m paraphrasing and, as I said, remembering only the gist of the interview.  While other people likely thought Will Smith smug for his statements and beliefs, I applauded him and my respect for him increased.  He left me with an impression that has stayed with me–that he is smart, has opinions he’s not afraid to share, and wants people to stand up for what they believe.  I admire people who are not afraid to say what they feel and believe, even if it is not the popular belief [not an easy thing to do].  And I admire people who value education and what it can do for a person and their life.

I did a google search to try to find Will’s exact words during that interview.  I couldn’t find a link, but what I did find was a chat room focused on Will Smith bashing.  Although I’m well aware that there are surely as many people who don’t like Will as there are people who like him [I’m in a creative business myself and I’d better understand that not everyone will like me or my books], I was still surprised.  To me, Will Smith is smart, likable,   bold, charismatic, and attractive.  He embodies many heroic traits in how he chooses to live his life–accepting responsibility for the failure of his first marriage, knowing what his values are and standing by them, knowing the importance of education, and recognizing the importance of family.  

He’s not perfect, as none of us are, but from what I can tell, he seems to be living an intentional life.  He makes interesting movies [to me, at least].  But the main reason I will always like Will Smith is because of that interview I saw years ago and the impression he left me with.  

Question of the Day:

Do you have a sliver of a memory that has stuck with you and framed how you see someone or something?  And what of Will Smith–are you a fan?