T stands for Taz

'T' stands for Taz. (Well, Amongst other things)

AKA Tasmanian Devil..

Oh, you know who I am talking about; that crazy, messy, dirty character from the Looney Toons! Everywhere he goes there are traces of his presence... dirt...and other nasty strange things.

WELL! That is the nick name for yours truly.

Don't get me wrong, this nickname did not come without valid reasoning, nor did it come from out of the blue-

NAY. This nickname was incredibly, amazingly, quite accurately placed on me by my own parents, for the messes I made, are making, and are bound to make in the future.

I believe strongly, and stop me if Im wrong (which you cant actually stop me so its not really a concern) that nicknames are stories. I cant think of one nick name I have EVER had that did not have a story about it...even if that story was "My mom has just always called me that I guess.."

With Taz it is different. It is a new nickname for an old habit that I built long before it was a running joke...

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am messy.

Im not talking "you forgot to put the clothes you just wore into the hamper" type messy.
No, im talking full blown, "How do you not have a disease from this?!" Messy.

Don't get me wrong, im not trying to sell myself out, or make myself look bad- or like the government should lock me up in a bubble and force me to repent...

It is honestly one of my biggest downfalls. (though I have plenty more as well.)

So, TJ, what are you getting at?
AAHAHAHAHAH! great question mon amie.
Titles. Nicknames and Titles. Basically it is how others describe who we are and what we do and what they believe we will accomplish.

My nickname "Taz" is fun to me. I don't mind the nickname, and I don't mind responding to it. (Granted i do have selective hearing, so i might not respond ALL the time. ) Regardless, it would be foolish of me to ignore what this nickname implies about me, and who i am.
Strangers, people i have never met, people who dont know me- hear the nickname "Tasmanian devil" and ,after understanding the definition, will make judgement and assumptions based on a nick name they once over heard.

Dont misunderstand, i think it is very important to be confident in your strengths AS WELL AS your downfalls. Being comfortable with who you are is a big part of living your life fully.
BUT!! That being said-
Be careful how you allow yourself to be labled.

Be careful, and be aware that dispite the labels you are given- you are who you allow yourself to be.

Going hand and hand with that. Be careful how you label others.
YOU DONT KNOW WHY THEY ARE THE WAY THAT THEY ARE. So who are you to title it?

When i was younger, i went to an elementary school in the middle of no where- ie. the place where dreams go to die.

There was a little girl there, probably the sweetest girl i ever met: we use to hang out during recess and do flips on the bars together. In middle school, the boys started calling her M&M -which stood for mustache monica (the name kind of describes itself.) This girl started going to salons and getting waxes, and wearing makeup and heels, and short skirts JUST to make up for the nickname m&m. She was eleven. No one should ever feel self consious due to a nickname that another person gave to them. ESPECIALLY because in middle school- none of us were all that cute.

So, funny titles, mean titles, clever titles- just whatever. Know what your being called, and if you dont like it- dont stand for it. Youre better than it.


If you do like it. If you are confident in it....


Then Own It.


You are who you allow yourself to be.

Sincerely, The Taz.

Ive got skills

Everyone, and i mean EVERYONE, in my family was born with a slow mind, quick tongue, and an irrational amount of conceeded cockiness that drives the rest of the world absolutely nutts.


TJ, why are you telling us this?
Because, friend. Too much of this personallity trait in one room, and all hell would break loose. (by the way, let me know if you ever feel the need to join us for family christmas)

Let me paint you a picture :
Weve got joe somebody yapping about his full ride scholarship to harvard, and sally talks-a-lot explaining how she is first in her class... at beauty school. betty brags-about-it is whining about how she works two jobs and no one loves her, and then there are the parents talking about how much they spoil the kids, trying to out complain eachother
My family is interesting to watch, because throughout the complaining and whining and tears, everything we say comes out as if we were bragging about each item. We make our daily lives sound like misfortunes, and sell them to our families like we are the champions for going to work every morning (because not many people do that -_-) .
The lesson i want you to take away from that short little speed typing test is this: We are cocky.

There. Plain and simple-

that being said, i want to take a minute and discus one of my very dangerous, very negative personality traits that comes from this unbreakable line of cockiness.

You know those inspirational movies about the underdog who breaks through and becomes a champion? (Step up 1-27, stick it, we are marshall, ect.)?
I always, and without fail, decide after EVERY ONE of those movies, that ive been blessed with what ever talent the film was about. I make the mental agreement that God put me on this earth for this one thing, and whatever that one thing is- im the best at it.

Step up? I was an undescovered hip hop dancer who just wanted to move.
Stick it? I landed cartwheels like nobodys business.
We are marshall? i was the nobody that rose up out of nowhere to replace the football players lost to the sky. Im telling you. This habit is going to get me killed. NO lie.

Just the other day after watching "Stick it" i set up my parents couch cushions to teach myself to do an arial. My feet didnt really stick it...

but my face definitely did.

And, you know, maybe it isnt just me. Maybe everyone has a little bit of this problem? I mean, i bet everyone watched Harry Potter and tried to do spells for two months following! And everyone saw the movie Hoot and decided that not only are they going to have bleach blonde hair, but they are going to run bare foot through the streets, and stand in front of bulldozers. Plus, how many people randomly started yelling "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" after the lord of the rings came out?
This habit, though unconventional to most, has done more for me then restate the laws of gravity. It has given me the opportunity to try new things, fall in love with new things, and most importantly, FAIL at new things. I guess stories like these are my own unique way to go into an overlooked topic of "expanding your horizons." Did anyone elses parents ever tell you that? "You need to expand your horizons."
I hated that.
I would always think, 'my horizons are fine, perfect even. My horizons are way better then your horizons, MOM.'
But without trying these new things, i would never have fallen in love with singing, or with the guitar.
without failing i would never have learned disicpline or a desire to succeed.
Without this irrational personality trait, i probably wouldnt have tried as many things as i have. That scares me.
Why? well, because i think- 'if i never would have, who else wont?'

No one should ever live life without dreaming, without something to work for, or look forward to.

So my message today, though jumbled and misleading, is this: Try new things. Expand your freaking horizons. Make new friends. Experience new cultures. Become a dancer, a football player, an enviornmentalist, a polotician, a cinimatographer, a wizard! become whatever it is that you have never tried: You never know where your new dreams will come from.