Howling Meme Murdock

I've been thinking about Murdock a lot lately, and so I made this little meme for him. <3

I might add other Murdock memes to this post as I create them. :)

Embrace Your Inner Murdock

I recently had an epiphany about what I do as an actress.  It’s intrinsically a part of my genetic makeup.  My entire life I’ve been trying to get people to see the other side of the story.  In the past I’ve referred to myself as a peacemaker…but really I’m just gifted at standing in someone else’s shoes and realizing what the other side of the story is.  (Of course I’m flawed and when it gets too personal I’m as narrow minded as the next person.)  But that is why I have to act. I want to be the storyteller – the medium between the freaks and geeks.  An ambassador to every kid who thought she wasn’t cool – to tell her that the coolest thing she can be is herself.  To show her that you can grow up to be awesome, achieve your dreams and make a difference.

 

That’s what Murdock taught me. 

Howling Mad Murdock is the certifiably insane pilot from The A-Team.  He was my favorite everything growing up.  As a kid I dressed like him, tried to act like him, and basically wanted to be him when I grew up.  Looking back, I think I was captivated by how funny he was.  He was almost like a live action cartoon with his impersonations and crazy shenanigans.  However, as an adult I realize that he instilled something much deeper in me.  See, Murdock marches to the beat of his own drum and is never afraid to express himself.  To be honest, I’ve lived by that principle my entire life.  Not perfectly, of course, but the times in my life when I’ve felt the happiest and the most alive are when I’m just being myself, no apologies.  Truthful.  I want to share that with people and speak truth into the characters I play.  God willing, I could be someone else’s “Murdock.” That is my dream.

I often talk to myself.  Many times I get in my car and forget to put on music because I’m so busy telling myself something.  I shall call it…verbal journaling.  Sometimes I’m not talking to myself, though.  I speak to specific people that I’d like to meet, or imagine that I have students that I’m teaching, or that I’m giving an interview.  During a recent imaginary conversation I was expressing some of my feelings about my acting career and I referred to my board of directors.

Wait.
What?
I don’t have a board of directors.

Suddenly, clear as day, I realized that my board of directors was very dear to me and very real.  My board includes all four members of The A-Team, with Murdock being the Chairman, Algernon & Jack, several of The Doctors, Lucy Van Pelt, Miss Piggy, The Warner Brothers (and the Warner sister,) Gandalf, Dumbledore, Aslan and a slew of other well-loved characters.  They are all pieces of me and I turn to them when I’m searching for direction.  Not like idols or anything.  Just reminders of who I am.  It’s funny, because I remember people being concerned that I was so wrapped up in fictional characters, but I needed them while I was growing up.  And every now and again, as Sarah says in Labyrinth, I need them.  As I grow and change, there are more characters added, but seldom does a character resign from the Board.  They’ll always be a part of me.  That’s how powerful storytelling is.

And that is why I must be a storyteller.

A typical Board Meeting.

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.