Classic Ted and So Much More

Okay, I admit it. I am not ashamed for the world to know (or the three people reading this blog). I love Ted Turner. He is brash, creative, sometimes a little nutty, but he is fantastic. Very few people in the world have the courage to do the types of things he's done his whole life. Build an innovative (and now ubiquitous) cable company? Check. Dominate the world of sport (America's Cup, Atlanta Braves)? Check. Donate a billion dollars to the UN and watch it work? Check. Challenge people to think about a world bigger than themselves? Check!

If I will miss anything about my job, it will be the opportunity to spend time with him, listen to him, learn from him and take that knowledge and apply it every day. Today was an acute reminder of that as I spent part of the day with him as he spoke at the Global Creative Leaders Summit, made a major announcement about polio with the Permanent Representative to the UN from Saudi Arabia, and was on a panel at the Clinton Global Initiative.

At each stop, he focused the audience's attention on his three passions: ending the absurdity of nuclear weapons, combatting climate change and figuring out ways to curb population growth. Each time, he reminded us of how close we are to eradicating polio (it is only endemic in four countries and there are fewer than 1000 cases each year); how we can enable the poorest of the poor to succeed by creating a new economy with green jobs; and how we need to "start doing the smart things and stop doing the dumb things."

I posted this last part to Facebook and it was interesting, the cynical, joking responses I got. I have some of the smartest friends, ever. And yet they couldn't resist poking fun of him, of that sentiment. It was also a reminder of the rusted-on cynicism that exists in this world. How we're all so busy, working so hard on our own lives, that it is sometimes hard to believe that it is possible to make a difference. (It might also be that my friends are also massive smart asses and can't help themselves when the words are coming from a billionaire with a propensity towards outrageous statements).

For me, it was just another reminder that what ever I do next, I want it to mean something. A friend helped me articulate that today on my resume. She added a short paragraph describing my work experience and included this: "to strategize, take action, and create change. "

Exactly.


Other observations from the day:
Clinton, Clinton and more Clinton
Mohammad Yunus speaking at the 92 Street Y
Matt Damon (whoa, he's cute)
Networking and more networking at the Sheraton
Obama at the UN (oh, yeah, I forgot about that)
Walking another 100 blocks, this time in flats
Hot, sticky NYC and not beautiful clear, fall NYC