Where there's a plan, there's a planner

After an extended and unintentional sabbatical, I’m back!  Hopefully on a more regular basis from now on…

To my countless devoted readers who have been waiting with bated breath to hear about Newman, bad news.  Newman has also been on sabbatical, but his appears to be a bit more permanent than mine.   Here’s Newman in his heyday, lurking outside Mark’s office, quietly staring.

To understand Newman, you first have to meet Bob.  It all started one fall when three wild turkeys appeared in our parking lot.  We didn’t know where they had come from or what had brought them to us, but we lived happily side by side for a few weeks.  The week before Thanksgiving they disappeared, and that was the end of that.  Until one of them came back.  After he had been with us for a few months, we decided he needed a name other than “the turkey”, and thus he was christened Bob.  Bob was a good pal, and always brightened our days here at the Met.  (You knew that Bob liked you if he snuck up behind you or stood by your window and gobbled loud as can be.  It could be heartstoppingly startling, but at the same time heartwarming to know that he cared.)  And then Bob stopped coming around.  He was known to go off on jaunts from time to time, but he always came back to us.  After two months had passed, we realized Bob had found a new home.   We hoped that whoever was lucky enough to have him as their mascot appreciated their good fortune.

Then one day there was a turkey in the garden!  Bob had grown bored with his new team and had come back to us!  Well at first glance anyway.  On closer inspection, this turkey was smaller, skinnier, and didn’t have quite the same bubbly personality as Bob.  And that’s how Newman came to be our new mascot.  Newman’s a little shy, and is still getting used to us.  I’ve yet to hear him talk, but he will come up to the window and stare for hours on end.  Mildly creepy, but I know it’s just his way of saying he cares.

Now before you judge a turkey as an “uncool” mascot, think about Western Kentucky State’s “Big Red”, who is essentially a big red blob.  What about the banana slug of UC-Santa Cruz?  Or the fighting artichoke, fighting okra, and fighting pickle of Scottsdale Community College, Delta State University, and North Carolina School of the Arts, respectively.  I find it interesting that adding the word “fighting” to their names somehow legitimizes these vegetables as mascots.  And if you need more convincing, we are in the company of Lady Liberty, who is also proud to have a turkey as her mascot.

It was a sad day when we realized Newman wasn’t coming back to us – it is my personal belief that everyone needs a mascot.  Perhaps this stems from my deep and abiding love of Georgia football, and the accompanying love for Uga.  In any case, I hope we find a new mascot soon…

Back soon with more relevant posts!