Disclaimer: I do not own Toy Story, John Lasseter does.
Compute for a Kid
Mr. Spell
I've always wondered how most of my fellow toys acquired their intelligence. They're not dimwits, by any means; even Rex is smarter than he seems to be at first glance. But I often have provided lessons for them. I've taught them how to read and write, and not just books, but also signs, license plates, labels, and playing cards. I've also decoded some things for them, such as when Buzz wanted me to help him decipher a personalized license plate number. I may be a preschool toy, but I was programmed with absolute genius, and if I could teach little Andy how to spell, per my name, I can teach anything to any toy.
That's not to say that I consider myself arrogant, though. I'm just saying what I'm capable of doing, and I'm a capable teacher. I was proud to teach preschool Andy how to spell words, and he was so grateful to me for it that even I, a computer toy, feel like a living creature. I'm not just a kid's (and toy's) computer. I'm an entity. Even the special awareness sessions I give the toys about what to do if they're swallowed or are affected by plastic corrosion make me feel like I'm fulfilling a purpose in life.
Now here's hoping that Andy's mom sells me to a kid as good as Andy when the time comes, because I couldn't bear it if I fell into the hands of an owner who didn't care for me. But for now, it's fun to keep being the toys' pet teacher. Yeah, that's right, the toys' pet teacher, not the teacher's pet. I want to get that right.
Mr. Mike
Mr. Spell is my old pal. We hang out together like best friends, whenever we can, at least. We both have computing capabilities in common, and that's what bonds us. But Mr. Spell isn't my only friend in this house. I'm friends with all the toys in Andy's bedroom, especially Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bo Peep, and Wheezy. Woody loves to use my signature microphone to make himself heard at meetings, and I also have talent as a musician whenever Wheezy, Jessie, Buzz, or anyone else feels like singing. Buzz, admittedly, isn't the best singer among us, though I like him anyway, but Wheezy and Jessie, in particular, have excellent singing voices. I feel like a child's orchestra when they sing and I make music.
Of course, let's not forget that our owner, Andy, is the one who means the most to me, just like everybody else in our gang. I served as a little radio for him, as well as a tape recorder, while he was very little, and he still treasures me for it. Andy's also sang a few songs of his own on my mike, and he loved going so all the time. Like Mr. Spell, I feel like I'm fulfilling a purpose in life, and it makes me proud to be alive. I think that purpose is to make a child happy, because that's not only what Woody and Buzz believe, but it's exactly what I've done, just like all the other toys.
Still, it'd be nice if I could do something about this perpetual grin on my face. It makes me feel a little sore. I can sure understand how Molly's Barbie doll feels, because she too can't stop smiling. Life's perfect, but even I can't smile all the time.
