Two Friends, Two Jackets, and One Crazy Pilot

“We can move an extra bunk in, and you and I can watch the walls melt.” ~Murdock to B.A., “Black Day at Bad Rock”

It's the Eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight...

Friendship is a lot like weather. You can predict it based on established patterns, scientifically talk about it based on empirical observations, but in the end, it’s still crazy and unpredictable. We never really know who our friends are going to be. It could be that we’ve known them since grade school, or maybe we met through a mutual friend. Sometimes friendships, like footballs on frozen fields, take funny bounces and hops. This is a short version of the story of one of those friendships.

As many readers of P&Q already know, The A-Team has been a force for great good in my life. Among other things, it’s inspired me to be more active, to write more, and possess a greater degree of assertiveness. I’ve also made a number of friends I might have never known had it not been for a shared interest in the show and its characters.

One friend in particular has been a godsend for me. (She already knows who she is, and I won’t embarrass her by calling her out here.) It all started when we both started talking over at fanfiction.net over a shared love of Murdock. We hit it off, and before we knew it, we were IMing, calling one another, sending stories back and forth for critiques. It felt like we’d been friends since kindergarten. Since I’ve moved so much in my life, and I’m withdrawn by nature, this was a new thing for me.

That was about a year ago. Since then, we’ve inspired one another to do so much we might never have done. She is now the maker of amazing prop replicas of Murdock’s signature leather jacket. Here’s what they look like:

Van (unfortunately) not included

They’re works of art. And the funny thing is, they started off as almost an afterthought. We had been talking about making the prop jackets after I’d had one done by an artist (this one):

Converse All-Stars extra

Three months later, my friend has sold over 20 custom-painted, beautiful Murdock jackets to customers all over the world. She’s a perfectionist and it shows. If you’re ever wanting your own, I’m sure she’d be happy to paint one for you.

Me? I’m continuing to write this blog, not really hoping to get rich or famous, but because I enjoy it and I believe writing is one of the things I’m meant to do. I was so thrilled at receiving the Freshly Pressed designation this past week that it’s only made me want to write more, just as my friend received a seal of approval from one of the propmakers at Universal Studios.

My friend and I always enjoy talking about The A-Team. But in the end, we wind up talking about things most friends do: our families, our struggles and triumphs in life, what we hope to accomplish in the future. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. Since I’m so new to this idea of having many friends, much less good ones, I have to say that true friendship brings out the best of everyone involved. (One more reason why I, though still single myself, believe that the basis for any lasting marriage is a solid friendship.)

I might be the only person in the Western Hemisphere to own more than one Murdock jacket. I have “the original” as well as the one hand-painted by my friend. The jackets are almost like the two of us. We have so many things in common, from the superficial to the profound, but at the same time, we’re different and unique and okay just the way we are. Every time I see that pair of A-2s, I smile.

And all this could not have happened without a simple email. Why not reach out to a fellow blogger or writer and tell him/her you enjoyed reading their work? It could be the start of a life-long friendship. You just won’t know until you click “send.”

(Special note to my readers: though I have never met most of you, this blog would be pointless without you. Thank you all for reading it and for taking the time to comment. I write not for me, but for all of you.)