What Does "On The Jazz" Mean?

     About a month ago I decided that I wanted to write my own blog. I had been dealing with a deterioration of what I would consider my “true” self and one day I sat up in bed with the sun shining over my bed and I said, “Life is what you make of it.” And that is, in short, what this blog is all about. 

    Next came the hard part: What should I call my blog? I wanted something that could describe having a joie de vivre, being whimsical, being in touch with your inner child, thinking outside the box, marching to the beat of your own drum even if everyone else thinks you’re crazy. The concepts were good but everything I came up with was a tired idiom and nothing seemed right. Then, at long last I had it: On The Jazz! But wait…what does that even mean? To tell you that we’ll have to take a little trip into my past:

    When I was a young girl I discovered a television show called The A-Team, and for many, many years it was my favorite thing in the world (…especially Murdock!) I know it may sound odd, but that show helped me to stay true to myself even if it meant that others thought I was weird. For a kid, having the confidence to stick to your guns is an incredible tool, especially when so many of your formative years are shrouded in peer pressure and just wanting to fit in. So, though the A-Team may seem like a dusty old piece of pop-culture it will always hold a special place in my heart.

    The phrase “On The Jazz” is lifted from various episodes of the A-Team. It was something that the members of the A-Team use to describe their leader, Hannibal, when he was forming a plan. Hannibal’s plans usually worked, but they were always a little crazy, and so they would normally say something to the effect of, “Oh, no, he’s on The Jazz!” One time a character on the show asked what “The Jazz” was and this was the reply:

    And I like it, too. But knowing where the phrase comes from doesn't really explain what it means. So, I began to think about that. What does being On The Jazz mean to me?

    The Jazz is being yourself, no apologies. It’s making the most of every moment. It’s finding something to celebrate in every day. The Jazz is following your dreams and thinking outside of the box. It’s seeing the world from a different perspective. The Jazz is sparkling eyes and a big smile. It’s doing something that scares you and loving it. It’s appreciating the small things and finding a way to tackle the big things. The Jazz is singing in the shower and catching fireflies or dancing in the rain. It’s laughing until you cry. It’s appreciating the people around you and telling them so. And most importantly, The Jazz is the best part of me. It's what I want to share with you and hopefully, in the process, you'll be On The Jazz, too.