Turtle Rock

My life, simply put, has not been one of mere coincidence. After close examination, it is abundently clear that it was undeniably created and molded by the hand of God through a blueprint that was developed long before I drew my first breath.

My mom, Inga, was born to an Alaska native and Norwegian immigrant who made his living as a ship’s captain. She was raised in the wilderness of Alaska with her younger brother, Teddy. An avid outdoorsman, he spent much of his time trapping and enjoying a broad spectrum of outdoor activities. Unfortunately, his life was cut short in his early 20s, murdered by a jealous husband who laid in wait for him while he was out checking his traps.

Mom and Dad married after a whirlwind, three-day courtship in the San Francisco area as he was preparing to ship out and fight in World War II. They both dearly loved children, but were unable to conceive. After enduring that heartbreak during the first nine years of their marriage, one of Dad’s shipmates informed them that his sister’s neighbor had just given birth to a baby boy and couldn’t keep it. Without hesitation, Mom and Dad leaped at the opportunity to fill that poignant void in their lives.

Living in the hills of Madison, Dot, the shipmate’s sister, arranged for the transfer of the 2-week-old baby boy, whom his grandmother referred to as “Warner,” after her own dad. Delivered through the window of a car by my biological mother I instantaneously became an only child and a well-kept family secret of the only parents I would know for 55 years.

Subsequently given the middle name of Mom’s late brother, Theodore. I was called Teddy in his memory. How appropriate was that since it is “a masculine given name of Greek origin, derived from Theodoros, which combines theos (God) and doron (gift), meaning “gift of God” or “God-given.” It has been a popular, historically significant name since antiquity, notably borne by saints, emperors, and US President Theodore Roosevelt.”

Nicknames include Theo, Ted, and Teddy.

Related names include Theodora (feminine), Theodorus, Teodoro (Italian/Spanish), and Fyodor (Russian), Todor (Bulgarian).

My given middle name, Theodore, is a classic enduring name and has experienced a resurgence of popularity across the anglosphere in the 2010s and 2020s. It reflects historic, reverent, and “vintage” charm often associated with intellect and strength. However, I’m sure there are more than a few who will heartily debate the “vintage charm” and “intellect” aspects of those associations to my name.