What does a newscaster, a group of older ladies, friends who talk about "nothing," friends who hang out at a coffee shop, a no nonsense judge, a bumbling boss leading an office, and a TV writer trying to keep her cast and crew under control all have in common? They all are parts of shows that changed my life. How can TV change your life you might ask? For me, all of these shows represent parts of my life, and all of them helped me through life forming and life changing moments. Murphy Brown, The Golden Girls, Seinfeld, Friends, Judge Judy, The Office, and 30 Rock are the 7 shows that truly changed and saved my life.

Murphy Brown

In the late 1980's, I was in the midst of junior high at Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School. Like most teenagers, life was awkward and confusing. I also was going through bullying. In those days, bullying was just "kids being kids" or "kids are cruel." My form of bullying was being called names on a daily basis. I came home many times crying trying to hide it from my mom.

On a Monday night in September, I began watching a new show called Murphy Brown. Who would have guessed that a kid from Hope, Indiana would be so intrigued about a recovering alcoholic newscaster and her fellow news team. It was the first show that I realized that comedy can help you laugh through the tough times. I could not wait for Monday nights.

One of the running gags on the show was that every week she had a new secretary and they were very ineffective. My goal was to be Murphy's permanent secretary. I even wrote letters to Oprah and tried to call the show through the help of a local news reporter. Alas, I never got to be Murphy's secretary.

Murphy Brown was on for 10 seasons. It is the show I give credit for helping me through not only junior high, it helped through high school, college, my father's death, and my first year out of college when I was looking for a job.

The Golden Girls

I remember watching The Golden Girls on Saturday nights. Granted, I was a teenager and didn't get a lot of the references. I knew it was funny, but I didn't get all the jokes.

When the show became a pop phenomenon again in the early 2000's after being rebroadcast on Lifetime, it was a rediscovering for me of one of the funniest shows ever produced. This time I got the jokes.

I find the characters of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia so relatable. I find myself in each of their characters. I have the seriousness of Dorothy, the dinginess of Rose, the quick wit of Sophia, and the desire to be "sexy" like Blanche. I also see these characters in so many family members and friends.

The Golden Girls has made me laugh so many times. I have every season on DVD. If it is on television, I will stop to see which episode it is. I will quote it. I think I gained an appreciation for it due to the fact that when it was "rediscovered" was the time following my mom's death. This show definitely helped ease my grief through laughter.

Seinfeld

The first time I saw Seinfeld, I was at my latter end of high school. I didn't get it. I really didn't give it a chance.

It wasn't until my freshman year at Purdue that I discovered the brillance of this show about "nothing." Thursdays for the following years were never the same. "Must See Thursdays" were such a fabric of my college years that it developed my love of comedy even more.

Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer are also relatable characters. In each episode I see myself. I have often referred to myself as George Costanza because I always get into a situation where people can draw different conclusions. These are such strong characters that are a fabric of my life. The quotes so embedded in my vocabulary.

This show was my college survival show. I knew if I could make it to Thursday, I had made it through another week. It also was another show that helped me make it through my dad's death.

I also refer to this show as the blueprint if I ever have my own television show. It may have been about "nothing," but to me it meant an awful lot.

Friends

I remember seeing the promos for this show and thought to myself "I don't think that show will work." Little did I know for the next 10 years, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, Rachel, Ross, and Joey could of just as well been my friends. It even made me want to go to coffee shops and drink coffee even though I am not a coffee drinker.

This was also one of those shows that helped ease the college stress. I feel like I grew up with the characters as well. When the show began, I was a sophomore in college, one of the most life changing years of my life. When it ended, I was in my seventh year of teaching. It was the show that helped me laugh when my dad and when my mom died.

What I wouldn't have given to be in Central Perk and interact with a group of friends. Friends taught me a lot about comedy and the importance of friendship. Again, laughter saved me and taught me that life is often too serious and that it is okay to laugh when times get rough.

Judge Judy

You might be thinking "Why would a person who puts comedy series as his favorite put a tough no nonsense judge on the list?" Well, it has to do with a couple of things. 1. Judge Judy can be hilarious. 2. She tells it likes it is.

When I discovered Judge Judy, it was through a sketch on SNL. I caught the show one day and fell in love with it. She was saying things right to people's faces that most of us would say behind their backs. I loved how she would tell people when they would lie or when they were being stupid.

Judge Judy was my after school guilty pleasure. I would make sure I made it home before 4 to catch the two shows. I would often have a Judge Judy nap. Many times I would jolt awake when she would yell at somebody.

I particularly loved some of her quotes to use in my classroom. One is particular, "Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining!," was one I used a lot in my class. It provided laughter to diffuse situations that could have gotten a lot worse.

A lesson learned from Judge Judy is to be strong and to stand your ground. I particularly needed that in my classroom. I know at the beginning of my career I was often seen as being soft and passive. Through my observations of Judge Judy and using her comebacks, it changed the balance of being too lenient to being just enough.

The Office

If any show changed my life at a time I needed it the most, it would be The Office. This show began my infatuation with Steve Carell. Many times I have ended up loving supporting characters more so than the leads. In this show's case, Steve was the one I could not wait to see what he was going to do next.

This show began the Pete Law renaissance. It was one of the awakeners that made me want to pursue more acting opportunities. In some auditions and performances, the effects of The Office could often be seen. I am sure my neighbors knew when the show was one because of my very loud laughter during just about every episode.

Because of this show, I dreamed of going to Second City in Chicago to take classes. For many years, I didn't know how I was going to do it. Then a year ago, I applied for a scholarship to Second City, and I got one!

If any show helped me to take a giant leap of faith, The Office was the one to give the great big giant shove!

30 Rock

Another show that continued my renaissance was 30 Rock. If Steve Carell was The Office for me, Tina Fey made 30 Rock. It was also amazing to me that both Steve and Tina went to Second City which made me want to go there more.

Tina's character of "Liz Lemon" was incredible. She always had to keep her writers and crew in check. I often thought that my teaching job was just like her keeping tabs on everyone around her. I am not for sure if anyone could deliver a punchline quite like Tina as Liz. I know I used a few lines in my classroom.

Another thing I loved about this show was how each character was developed so fully. Even minor characters felt like they had been in every show. The writing of the show prompted me to pursue more writing opportunities. I have never been a person who has loved to write, but at Second City I was able to take writing classes that pushed me. I couldn't help but think that Tina Fey had used some of the formats I was using to write sketches.

These seven shows have been a fabric of my life. They have helped me through some of the toughtest times I have ever experienced, helped me to grow from teenager to adult, helped me to realize the importance of comedy and laughter, and helped me to pursue dreams that I never thought were ever in reach.

I know a lot of people may not understand how important this shows have been to my history. I am grateful I found these shows or who knows where I would be. I have been a dreamer my whole life. Each one of these has fueled my dreams and has put me on a path to try to accomplish them.