My Hero
Born in Dallas/Fort Worth Texas in 1945, he was immediately curious about the natural world. He helped his father run the ranch, but made sure to have enough time to romp around with his buddies catching rattlesnakes and turtles. At one point, he even had an opossum as a pet! His favorite thing to do was to explore and learn about all the local flora and fauna. Surprisingly, he went into medical school, but this was less of a choice as it was of an insistence from his parents. They wanted him to be successful, so what did he do? He became a thorasic and vascular surgeon! In the time from the beginnings of his medical school to his full-blown profession, he traveled and went on many adventures. He climbed Mount Kilamanjaro, delivered a baby in the Amazon rainforest (the baby was named after him), ran the Boston Marathon, backpacked across the floor of the Grand Canyon, and had countless more adventures. When he retired from being a surgeon, he began to pursue his dream of becoming a biologist. He is currently working on his second PhD and is studying the metabolic rates and thermoregulation in birds and bats in the Southwest. This man never stops. It is inspiring to see him constantly grasping at the eternal knowledge of life. He always wants to learn and his mind has proven great retention because he is one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. The massive amounts of information he holds is riveting. His understanding of the natural world range from the inner workings of the human body to the vast void and miracle that is outerspace. On top of all these accomplishments, he is also kind, caring, generous, and loving. His jokes are corny and he makes himself laugh, but it is endearing. When he loves, he loves with all of his might. He is goofy, kind, and brilliant. He is my hero and he is my father.
Dad
My dad is my best friend. He's soft-spoken, loving and at times very wild and spontaneous. He loves going on road trips and spending time in nature. It is one of his favorite past times. Every once in a while he will put our car in sports mode which will end up making both my mother and I scream in joy and panic. He has a very playful nature. You will catch him running after me and engaging in tickle wars that will have me doubling over in fits of laughter. Most little girls are shy of him due to his kind eyes and handsome features. I like to think that I got my intelligence and pleasant nature from him. That and a realistic approach to life. I miss my father very much when he takes off on week long flights as there is nobody around to play with my hair or scratch my back. He and I are very attached, you see. I hope this little piece has given you a fair insight as to what he is like as a person and what qualities I admire most about him.