toby of the day, 5.22.2008

Apparently, ted turner’s first word was “pretty” which he uttered while watching a butterfly. He tells this story as demonstration of his lifelong commitment to environmentalism. I wonder if you’re trying to convince people of your commitment to something, if this is a fruitful strategy. I admit that I never really thought of ted turner media tycoon as ted turner staunch environmentalist. But certainly, since I have trouble believing that his first word didn’t involve long vowels, soft consonants, and repeated syllables, I’m not more convinced of his love of the environment after hearing this “pretty” nonsense. Ted turner, expert storyteller: yes. Ted turner, environmentalist: eh, I can’t really say. I also wonder, if the story is true, whether his parents made predictions about him based on his first word, like “maybe our son will be a biologist, or a lover of nature, or an irritating guy who always states the obvious.” I muse about these things because today toby said his first word. It’s a word that may signal his becoming a voice for his generation as they face environmental or geopolitical catastrophe, or maybe it’s just a verbal prelude to his response when we catch him smoking or he finds himself in his first a bar fight. Regardless, I suspect it will serve him well in the future, and will easily fit whatever story he needs it to whether he’s a savvy venture capitalist or an unemployed guitarist. And of course it will serve us well when toby tells us of his dreams to become either a savvy venture capitalist or an unemployed guitarist. That word, of course, is ‘uh-oh’.