Yes, my dad majored in microbiology and geology I think, went on to become a science teacher. He has always lived science, especially volcanoes, weather, geology, physics etc. He also loves military aviation and likes reading/studying the Manhattan project, I attribute this to him being born in the 50s and growing up in the 60s-70s when SAC (Strategic Air Command) was a big thing. My dad use to have TONS of airplane models from WW2 and some more modern ones for his time, like a B-52, he also fondly reflects to me the different commercials that use to air for then new planes. "The A-7 Corsair had a truly awesome commercial, son." When my dad's older brother was drafted into the Vietnam War, a very hard time for his whole family, I think this increased his love for aviation and he decided he was going to be a naval pilot. He did ROTC and made it all the way to pilot candidate training, which was MUCH easier to get into back during the cold war though to my dad's credit he is a brilliant man. Sadly, the most painful part of the story is that he get so close...but one day he said "Nope, I miss home" and hoped the fence I left
. I love when we talk about planes and the stuff he did but I have to stop him during that part of his story, its too painful yet he happily reflects on it.
From a very early age my dad was to blame for my obnoxious aviation fetish, he even brought me a stinky aviator helmet from the Korean War from a military surplus and gave it to me when I was a little. It stunk SO badly my eyes would sting but I would put it on every time I watched my jet vids in the living room in the early 90s or get excited watching CNN coverage of the Gulf War. When we'd get into a car together, back when I was 3 or 4 he would act like we were getting into a tandem seated strike aircraft, like an F-111 or A-6. We had so many bizarre, "aspie" things we'd do that I always enjoyed, he made my early childhood very fun. 3-6 was a ball, nothing but planes, jet videos, flying around with dad when he got home and he would even help me put models together. I remember me and dad's first model airplane, an F-111 Ardvark, he ended up putting the whole thing together and I painted it in a bright disgusting shade of green that he over-painted to a darker, more camo color.
I never stopped loving jets but of course dinosaurs did grip me at that age too and my dad, the obsessive geology and science teacher only increased my interest. I just loved the dinos and we would watch documentaries on PBS that he would tape for me but I think dad would get frustrated with me at times because one of -his- obsessions was geology itself, how the bones became preserved and turned to rock. He would try to teach me this but I would just want to know about t-rex and dimetrodon(not a dinosaur, I know) and their diets/lifestyles.
My dad is quite obsessive, he's disabled anymore and spends his time watching the history or science channel. He's very obsessed with Bigfoot and UFOs now, though he is always willing to talk planes.
My mom is more "normal" on the outside, but she always had trouble making friends and blending into the crowd and being accepted. She did become popular though, as a kid, unlike me. I guess I inherited all my parent's weird traits. Both have emotional issues, dad has A LOT of paranoia and makes up scenarios and worries about crazy things.