Ahh yes! Here you are! So, you've made your way over to this crazy 'blog' thing. What started out as a casual idea for a public forum to post our out of control, hilarious conversations and deepest thoughts, has been made a reality by the wonders of the internet. A joint blog. We're just two friends, with similar life experiences, who have the most bizarre and unconventional of careers...who happen to live in different countries, 3000 miles apart. Its simple, really. And as this is Joey and I's first foray into the world of shamelessly writing about ourselves, we both figured it best to do some sort of introduction, starting with writing each others biographies. We'll start out nice, but its all down hill from here I'm sure! So without further introduction, here is....STUFF!
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After sitting down multiple times in an attempt to write this, I’ve come to realize how hard it is to describe Morgan Lander without using the word “Morgan.” As in her personality is “very Morgan” or the way she does something is “Morgan-like.” She is a very unique individual and she has become more of an adjective or verb to me than a noun. I’m not very good at writing in facts, as my mind doesn’t work that way, so I can’t sit here and list things like her favorite color, which I’m sure is black or her favorite food, which I’m sure is something that goes great with alcohol because even if she has told me or told me a thousand times, I relate more of a feeling or emotion to describe her than anything else.
The first thing I would tell you about her has nothing to do with her talents or what she does, but it would be about her heart. She has the sweetest, softest and most kind black heart you will ever find. Make no mistake about it, it is black and can be cold and maybe even evil but that is part of it’s charm. For those who take the time and make the effort to learn the path and earn the trust to it, it is the most wonderful reward to any journey. I don’t know any other way to describe it other than comparing it to a fruit where if you don’t take the time to peel the protective layer off, you’ll never reap the benefits of it. And even if you take the time, if you don’t do it just right, then you’ll either get it unripe and not ready for you or when it’s too ripe and has gone bad and bitter. I’ve been at both ends of that spectrum and lucky for me, I’ve had multiple shots at it.
The next thing I would tell you about her is her brain. She is one of few who I can enjoy having conversations with for hours at a time. I can’t tell you how many times we have gone in with designs of having a quick conversation and ended up talking for hours. And it’s hours without an effort. She is so smart and witty and funny that sometimes you just don’t want to let go of the conversations. She is like a great novel or movie where she is so engaging that it’s almost an escape from reality and you know when you let it go, you have to come back to your world which is never as good. And you miss her when she’s away for too long. She’s addicting like a drug. She always listens and invests herself in your world and sympathizes with what’s going on with you. She will never claim to give the best advice but she will always put thought into her analysis and be truthful with her responses. She makes you realize what a treasure a truly honest and selfless opinion is and how few and far between you get them on a regular basis. That is where the addiction stems from. She actually cares when most just pretend to.
I can’t say that I’m a huge fan or even a moderate fan of metal music but it might just be what Morgan knows best. After all, she has been writing and recording it for nearly half of her life. You wouldn’t know it by talking to her though. She is not the type to brag or boast or put anything out there unless others inquire about it. She may never admit it or even like me saying it but she has a wonderful and beautiful voice that would compliment any style of music. It’s a credit to the dedication to her craft that she sticks to what she loves which is a style of music that doesn’t always lend itself well to trends or the radio. She just wants to do what makes her happy for as long as her fan base will support her in doing so. And I don’t know a thing about guitars to tell you how good she is but I know that Morgan can completely captivate me by playing an acoustic guitar in an empty room and getting lost in her own creativity. I realize that her songwriting and lyrics aren’t so different from the ones in a style that I may enjoy more, it’s just that Morgan likes to scream to them to get her point across.
I referenced and speculated at the beginning of this that Morgan’s favorite color may be black but black might be the last color I think of when I think of her. If colors can generate feelings, then Morgan makes me feel a lot of red. She is very passionate and loving which I equate to reds. Her passion shows most through her work and she is so very loving towards her family and friends. Her talent and creativity gives me a feeling of white. So endless and undefined like a clean slate or a blank sheet of paper. She can make something beautiful out of anything. Sometimes Morgan gives me a feeling of blue, but not like the blues of sadness but more like the sky on a brand new day. Even when things are at their worst, and she’s feeling the typical blue, she knows that tomorrow she has an opportunity to be great and it radiates off her. Tomorrow is truly a brand new day for her. Morgan can also be green. Despite being experienced and wise at her young age, she attacks life with the wonderment of a novice. She loves new experiences and always wants to know and learn more. She might tell you that she is set in her ways, but I don’t think even she realizes how much her ways change just by being so open to new ideas and thoughts. She is ever evolving like a beginner sponging up as much info and processing and applying it to herself as she can.
When the idea first came up of a joint blog and then writing each other’s “about me,” I thought this would be so easy, but it really isn’t. Morgan is so complex that I just completed five paragraphs on her and I feel like I haven’t even begun to describe her. You really must know her to tap into what makes her so special and why I consider her one of not only my best friends, but one of the best people I have ever met. I realize this whole thing might be really sappy but it’s hard to define why someone touches you without being somewhat sappy. Especially when you condense it into a blog. To be honest, we didn’t set any rules in doing this but I still don’t know if I did it right. I hope through this though, you take away at least a glimpse of Morgan Lander.
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Joey Ryan is not the man you think he is. Born Joseph Ryan Meehan, in the fall of 1979, and raised in
sunny California, he is best know as the cocky, narcissistic, self-important one man shit show of the independent professional wrestling circuit. His wit, charm and Hollywood good looks, as well as unbelievable physical talents in his field, have helped to secure him a spot in the history books as one of the most loved and most popular indie wrestlers of his day, as well as garnering him countless titles and awards. He is known to many as such things as "The technical Wizard", "Magnum" and "The Hollywood Submission Machine", but beyond the lights, and the cameras and the ‘ego’, lies a completely different person altogether.
In the ring, Joey has no problem with controlling the crowd. Like some crazed, larger-than-life superhero, he will call you names, insight riots, kick over chairs, disrespect the dead, and incense the fuck out of you. He will make you feel uncomfortable, ogle, fondle and flirt with you. His confidence is disgusting, repulsive even. He is ever the consummate professional, always striving to be the outrageous bad guy people believe him to be. He will make you HATE him. But the Joey I know, wants more, is more. Who he truly is, is so absolutely endearing, and is in such sharp contrast to his onstage persona, that you might think him a total fraud. Or maybe a total genius? But that’s the magic of make believe, isn’t it? Its hard to tell what’s real and what’s just for show.
He is shy, quiet, and thoughtful. He is awkward, almost to a fault, and has a hard time making eye contact. He is a hopeless romantic, always searching for a true connection. Like many of us, he has loved, and lost, and regretted. He loves kids and wants a family of his own, and visits Disneyland almost daily. He loves baseball. He eats Red Vines like they are going out of style, and can only handle his alcohol if there is a fucking umbrella in it. He can also be pensive and brooding at times, choosing to look at the glass almost entirely empty altogether. But somehow its still charming. There are so many strange, whimsical, childlike qualities about him, that often times I find myself jealous, envious even, of his view of the world, and his life. Sort of like a fucked up Peter Pan, without all the creepy Jacko undertones. His experiences and choices mirror my own in such a way, that I can't help but be fascinated by him, and in turn be forced to look inward at myself.
I believe we all have that. The inner child. The need for more. The wonder of ‘what if’. The hopes, dreams and desires. The conflict and the contrast. We all have our secret selves, that so few people know. Ultimately, that is what this blog is for, what its all about. The Joey I know wants what we all want. Happiness, acceptance, love. He is only human, after all.
