What my dad was like back then (and another reason how I became interest in animals) :P

March 5, 2007

Hey guys,

I thought I would like to share you a story which I should of told you, when

I 1st met you, or joined this group. But, I gonna warn you, I may be emotional,

sad cuz of talking about someone I knew before passed aways.

Well, my dad passed away in '91 or '92 due to his 3rd fatal heart attack on

May Memorial Day! He was around his mid-50's, if he was alive now, he would be

around mid-70's! Now you guys know why I hate that holiday, and also Father Day

too! Okay, let's start from the beginning, alright guys?

My dad was born in Texas around 1930's. His name was Hugh Dixon (yep,

that's how I got my 1st real name from, I think he also named me Chip too, lol)!

He met my mom while out traveling around the world, I guess he was in his 30 or

40's when he met my mom, and they falled in love and got married! My brother,

(for short) was born in '75, and I was born '79, we're like a

few years apart from each other. What I remembered what my mom told me, my dad

served in a navy during a Korean War back then, he used to have a lot of medals

too!

My dad was a great guy, I guess when I was a kid (before he passed way when

I was 11 or 12 yrs old, before I hit pre-teen), I didn't understand anything. I

was young and very active, you know how little kids are, right? Always getting

into trouble, playing around too much, and so on! Yep, I was like that too, lol!

Anyway, he used to travel around the world, different states a lot too! And

guess what? Wanna know another reason I became interest in animals, who I got it

from? Yep, my daddy! He was also an animal lover too! We used to have a lot of

pets: 2 dogs (Fife was a cocker spaniel mix, and Pepper was a purebred chow chow

which was our very 1st dog!), several guinea pigs, and some catfishes and fishes

too! We also had our 1st cat, Sandy (she was a siamese/himaylayn mix), cool huh?

Anyway, what I recalled from the past as a young lad, I used to always get

in trouble by my parents. Hey, like I said before, I was young and only a kid,

right? I used to be very stubborn and spoiled (I think I'm still am nowadays,

lol), and didn't want to listen to what anyone tell me what to do, right? If I

ever got in trouble, did something bad, talking bad, my dad was very strict! Hey

guys, I got a friend who's dad is also strict, my dad was just like my friend's

dad too! My dad would give me a spanking, give me lecture, and sometime punish

me for doing something bad!

Wanna know how my interest in animals got started? Beside going to my 1st

mainstream hearing science class, while reading a Life Science Book about

animals, which might of been 1st originated back in 3rd grade, but I found out

another reason. Remembered I metioned to you earlier my dad was an animal lover?

Well, he used to train our dogs, especially Pepper very well, and those 2 were

obediently trained, and I think Pepper won some trophies and/or medals at some

Dog Shows! cool huh? Okay, back to the story....before I became interest in

animals, when I didn't care much, I used to be a bad boy by being mean, and sort

of abuse the animals! I mean, I would push the dogs away, or sort of step on

them, play with the guinea pigs rough, but I would had to becareful around

Pepper! Cuz, since she was the smartest animal in our house, whenever I would do

something bad, rough, or annoying her, she would growl at me like telling me to

go away, to back off or she'll bite me! I was

having a hard time adjusting being kinds to animals back then. I remembered

after my dad passed away, I thought I could be bad and being rough to the

animals, right? I thought I could get away with it easily when my dad wasent

around, right? WRONG! Here's a true story, believe it or not!

We had our 1st cockatail bird named Gordon, right? Sasha was just a puppy

when we got Gordon back then (Pepper died at the age of 15 back in '94, few

years later after my dad passed away. Then, we got Sasha like a month later.

Fife died like a year later at age 10 yrs, she was partly deaf and blind when

she passed away). Well, I remembered I used to torture the poor bird, by shaking

the cage, or putting my hand in the cage to terriorize the poor bird. Well,

guess what happened? One day, I felt like someone was holding my hand back, and

I thought I heard a voice inside of me saying, 'CHIPPER, STOP IT NOW! LEAVE THE

POOR BIRD ALONE!' Something like that, I felt like it was my dad's spirit

talking to me! He may be dead but, his spirit was there to keep an eye on me!

So, whenever I'm starting to be mean to the animals, I would feel like someone

holding me back, and telling me to stop doing that, right? So, I had to learn

to give respect to all living things. I learned all

about animals, and that they are God's creatures, they're just like us: got

feelings, got a soul, living, breathing creatures like people!

I remembered that when my dad used to take me to church, I used to bring my

little action figures toys to play with at the church, right? Well, my dad

didn't like it and once again as usual, he'll get all grouchy at me, giving me

a lecture, and I had to stop doing that, and learn to pay attention to the

bible and the priest ya know. I also rememebered when I used to wear the big

hearing aids (I got the small kinds now, cuz they're less noticable than the

big kinds), and I used to take them off at home, right (I started wearing them

when I was around 7 yrs old, I think.)? My dad would get on my case as usual,

get angry at me, dang he was strict back then! I used to be afraid of him, and

go to my mom for help, lol! So, I had to learn things the hard way, and now I

wear my small hearing aids more often, being more respectful and kind to the

animals, and also start paying attention to the bible and the priest at church

too!

Oh Yeah, my dad used to love to go on nature hikes, now I go hiking with my

brother sometime and my nephew! Cool huh? He used to take a bunch of pictures

of wildlife and plants, and other nature scenery! He was in photography buisness

called, 'Kodiak!' He used to travel around the world for his buisness and

pleasure, and used to invite us to visit other places with him too! We went to

Mexico, Mexico City (where we go visit our relatives, my mom whole family side),

Acapulco, and so on! We were about to go to Honolulu one summer, but since my

dad passed away on Memorial Day (kinda wierd that my dad was in a navy, and

Memorial Day is like the day of remembering the armies the navies back then), my

brother invited 1 of his friend to go to Honolulu, Hawaii with us that summer.

We had fun over there, and we haven't gone back again ever since. I guess it's

cuz, we'll all be sad and remembered that my dad would of love coming to Hawaii

with us, sigh! (dang man! my throat is

starting to get all choked up and getting watery eyes now, lol!)

Sometime, I feel like my dad and I are more like Steve Irwin and 1 of his

kids, Bindi Irwin! Do you remembered that Steve Irwin got killed by a sting ray?

Now that Bindi wanted take her daddy's place, right? Well, I kinda felt like

that too! It's like I'm taking my dad's place to help the animals too! Now, I'm

thinking of being a wildlife photographer, more like a pet photographer, cuz I

always enjoy taking pictures of animals and other wildlife! I'm thinking of

pursuing a career into that, cool huh?

Oh Yeah, Sandy our 1st cat was still around when Sasha was a few yrs old,

then we got Meowth! Our pure-bred bi-color (white/black) American Shorthair

kitty cat! Sandy and Moewth both didn't get along well, I guess it's cuz

they're both females and they're trying to take over each other terriortories,

right? So, we had to give Sandy away to 1 of my old friend ya know. Sasha is

the longest living survivor now, lol! She's 12 yrs old, that's like 84 in dogs

years! She'll be 13 (around 90 something in doggy yrs!) on April 25 or the 26th!

Meowth is gonna be around 7 or 8 yrs old this month, cool huh? My brother is

around 31 yrs old, I'm 27 going on 28 on June 16).

If my dad was alive now, he would be around 70 yrs old! He used to love

riding motorcycle bikes in the mountain, loved going to the flea market with us

as a family too! I remembered on 1 memorail day, my mom, brother, and I all went

up to the mountain with some flowers, layed under a tree, and prayed to dad

(sorry, getting teary eyes again)! He always had heart problems, my mom told me

that he had like around 3 heart attacks in his lifetime! The last one was his

3rd and fatal heart attack, he got it while riding motorcycle in the mountain. I

guess it's cuz he died what he loved doing the best, enjoying nature stuff

while riding on his motorcycle.

Anyway, that's my story about my dad. And also, I might pursue in a new

career taking my dad's place...being wildlife photographer! I'm gonna have to go

back to college again, take some photography classes, get some job working with

photography stuff too! cool man! Now you know what my dad was like, how I became

interest in animals, and so on.

Now I stopped crying, felt a bit better now letting it out ya know. Type

back soon, take care!

Ol' Chipper >

---------------------------------

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March 5, 2007

Chip-

Those are beautiful memories of your dad! I could hear his spirit in your

story. I'm sure he's smiling down on you with pride.

Michele W

Aubrie's mom

March 5, 2007

Dear Chip,

Knowing how hard that was for you to write, and then share, I thank you for your

honesty and the depth with which you are sharing your memories of your father.

The fact that you have such an amazing concern and ability to work with animals,

that you attribute, in great measure to your dad, and that you may wish to

pursue animal photography is a wonderful way to remember him. I do feel we

often carry great strengths and gifts from our parents that we are not always

aware of. I like hearing of your connections to your Dad.

It certainly sounds like his spirit continues to give you support and guidance.

Thank you for sharing your important thoughts, Chipper.

:-)

What my dad was like back then (and another reason how I

became interest in animals)

Hey guys,

I thought I would like to share you a story which I should of told you, when I

1st met you, or joined this group. But, I gonna warn you, I may be emotional,

sad cuz of talking about someone I knew before passed aways.

Well, my dad passed away in '91 or '92 due to his 3rd fatal heart attack on

May Memorial Day! He was around his mid-50's, if he was alive now, he would be

around mid-70's! Now you guys know why I hate that holiday, and also Father Day

too! Okay, let's start from the beginning, alright guys?

My dad was born in Texas around 1930's. His name was Hugh Dixon (yep,

that's how I got my 1st real name from, I think he also named me Chip too, lol)!

He met my mom while out traveling around the world, I guess he was in his 30 or

40's when he met my mom, and they falled in love and got married! My brother,

(for short) was born in '75, and I was born '79, we're like a

few years apart from each other. What I remembered what my mom told me, my dad

served in a navy during a Korean War back then, he used to have a lot of medals

too!

My dad was a great guy, I guess when I was a kid (before he passed way when I

was 11 or 12 yrs old, before I hit pre-teen), I didn't understand anything. I