Sunday, July 29, 2012

Why We All Need to Take a Page Out of Jimmy Fallon's Book

I decided a few weeks ago that I needed to blog about Jimmy Fallon. I have no idea why all of a sudden I'm strangely boy crazy over him but I am. I think its all a part of this journey called life and trying to figure out what is important. For me, it's increasingly become trying to find moments of pure, unadulterated laugh out loud thankfulness. And for some reason, I have found it in Jimmy Fallon.

About a month ago, somewhere, somehow I ran across a youtube video of Jimmy and The Roots singing Call Me Maybe with this young girl, Carly Rae Jensen. I'd like to start off with saying, my only exposure to the song at that point was my son singing it repetitively, to the point where he asked for a pen and paper and listened to it in his ear phones over and over so he could write down all of the words. But, anyway, somehow I ended up watching the Jimmy's version, in which the whole gang uses elementary school classroom instruments in order to create a true musical masterpiece. Here, take a look for yourself:





I'll admit, I was completely mesmerized. Not because I'm a Carly Rae groupie, but instead, because you could tell how much fun everyone was having. Some key moments: when Jimmy attempts to symbolically make the "wind blow", the guy from the Roots in the back center with the hat who cannnot hide his laughter at this ridiculous job assignment, and the man on the kazoo.

In that moment, I thought to myself...that's what I want. I want to go to work every day and love what I do. I want to get up every morning and know I'm going to laugh. I want to get up every morning and know that I can make other people laugh. And know that by laughing I will be living my life more deeply and fully. Quite philosophical for a young girl's pop song, I know....

I've watched Jimmy before, on both SNL and his own show. And I have laughed. But it never dawned on me that this guy, even though he gets up every morning to his own normalcy (good, bad and ugly), genuinely has made making people feel good his vocation, not just an occupation.

You can see it in his face (I know, I'm thinking deep and stretching it for some) every time he opens his mouth. So I started investigating and paying closer attention. And I started laughing more. I started staying up late just so he could make me laugh. I started posting all of his stuff on Facebook and titled each one "Why we need to be more like Jimmy Fallon." I want to be happy. I want to be able to try to be serious but not be able to hold in the laughter. I want to find the ridiculous in everyday life. So I'm just going to keep watching. And keep laughing.

Here are a few more of my favorite Jimmy Fallon moments. Watch them if you want to see someone who loves what they do.







http://www.wimp.com/raphistory/  Click on this link! It won't let me upload but I love it!