Bill? He is a rather complicated subject. Like all Coker’s,
when mixed with Hillhouses, there is a tendency to be an a-hole. However, a-holes
can be the best people as well. Bill falls into that category. He can be so
incredibly concerned about an individual that he will get deeply emotional about
their overall condition, but he also has the famous, Coker-switch. I’m afraid
we all have this too; it is when you have finally had enough of someone’s BS
and you completely cut them out of your life forever. Bill is really rather
Zen-like. He can be happy regardless of his surroundings. He does not require
any stimuli. He will indulge on occasion, but he can have just about as much
fun with or without comfort. Of course, I love my brother. No human has ever
tested me more than Bill. But, as one might expect, he has also put forth a tremendous effort to partner with me and make things happen as a team. The only
way to deal with Bill is to get yourself a bull-rope and some rosin and pray
your grip can keep you in the saddle. Being with Bill can be the wildest ride
you’ve ever had and it can throw you further than you’ve ever been thrown. The
term, “Never a dull moment,” had Bill in mind when it first came out. This is why
he attracts fun people. Nearly everyone who is into having fun will be drawn to
Bill. To people who want to have fun, Bill is the right kind of flame for their
marshmallow. He projects the environment for comedic relief. He is not so much
a deep thinker as he is a storer of thought. He doesn’t meditate or dwell on
anything, but he photographically stores complete works in some sort of
massive, vault-like unit in his brain. He can pull up information he stored in
his library years ago. Therefore, do not – I repeat – do not get into an
argument with Bill; you cannot win.
Bill has pretty much ran the family show and/or business,
for his entire life. Mom calls him “The Boss” when she isn’t accusing him of
being ill. Management always has this kind of reputation. However, upon
reflection, our family could not have made it without his leadership. During
our childhood, we faced some incredibly difficult situations. Dad had a really
bad drinking problem and we somehow, almost ended up in a cult-like
church-environment. Without having Bill around, steering us out of those
situations, we may have ended up on Jerry Springer or as the subjects of a
scary docudrama.
Bill had a Yoda growing up. Aunt Mable taught him “The Force”,
and equipped him with all of the necessary weapons he’d need to get through
life. If you want to know what Mable was like, see Bill. They were two peas in
a pod. These details make his story interesting. Like all heroes (See Joseph
Campbell), he was called away from his village. George Lucas borrowed from
Campbell’s monomyth to tell the story of Luke Skywalker, and the reason it is
called a monomyth is due to the fact that it is always the same for all heroes.
When Bill was called away, he made Florida his home. Of course, there were
other galaxies, like Corning, New York, but Luke – I mean Bill – had to go far,
far away in order to become a Jedi. All heroes return to the village where they
started; from Dorothy to Harry Potter, this is the part where the hero comes
back to the village and brings the boon home. They renovate the old home-place
and they renovate the entire neighborhood and they take care of their elders. Bill
has been doing the most in this area lately. He has been good company and a lot
of good support for mom.
Today, his age matches the traditional age of retirement in
The US. This seems fitting as it coincides with Bill’s completion of the
typical, hero’s journey. Of course, there is always a sequel.
Thank You Bill.
