Fatherhood as an Analog Explorer 🏴‍☠️⛵️

Sails, and tales, from a little Analog Explorer in training...

As Father’s Day rolls around, I’ve been thinking about those little moments that shaped me as a kid, and the ones that perhaps will shape my 8-year-old son. It’s never the day-to-day grind, but those vivid flashes where a kid feels like they’re at the helm of something bigger…

Sailing the high seas of parenting

Now, if you ask my 8-year-old son, he’s convinced the real adventure starts when he’s “finally grown up.” My wife and I remind him, like I’m sure our parents did with us, that being a kid is the adventure. You just don’t realize or really appricate it until you’re older.

When I was his age, my VHS player was pretty much on a loop of The Goonies and Indiana Jones. I was all in on the thrill of the unknown. The treasure maps, booby traps, ancient artifacts, and just enough danger to spark the imagination. That love for adventure stories never really left me. Those well-worn VHS tapes, stacks of National Geographic magazines, and the diving tales my own father shared around the dinner table all helped instill in me a deep desire to travel, hike, dive, and adventure, or whichever way I defined exploring at the time. Whether it was getting lost in the plethora of pages of maps I’ve collected over the years, wandering forest trails, or diving headfirst into a new hobby, the urge to discover was always there. Seeing my son step into his own stories of exploring, in whatever way he defines it at his age, feels like a full-circle moment; whether it be up a mountain, stuck in a tree, snorkeling in the shallows of the lake, or more recently, steering a 100 year old schooner.

Setting Sail

We were aboard the historic Zodiac Schooner, on what we thought would be a Gilligan’s Island-style three-hour tour. That was until, the captain and crew invited him to jump in… literally. He was hoisting sails, handling lines, and gripping the helm with both hands. For a few bright moments, he wasn’t just a kid on a boat. In his mind, he was the crew and captain.

Wrist-Check, 8-Year-Old Edition

And yes #watchfam, on his wrist is the beloved, goes-with-him-everywhere, Blok 33. That little plastic watch has been through tree climbs, lake dives, “ancient tombs” (what he calls Fort Casey on Whidbey Island), and plenty of backyard quests.

Blok 33 at the helm

It’s scuffed, it’s scratched, and it’s still ticking. Much like his dad, he wears it like a badge of adventure, an analog companion on every wild idea he has…including climbing those trees in the back yard he knows he’s not supposed to be up.

Fac Tempus ad Explorandum, or, “make the time to explore.” As the credo of Analog Explorer, I’ve come to believe that being a dad might be the greatest exploration of all. Watching your kid grow, learn, and find their own course… that’s real exploration. We’re navigating it together. Sometimes, he’s steering and we (my wife and I) are the crew helping with the rigging. Other times, the three of us are just along for the ride. But we’re there, side by side, chasing those “phantom sails” of imagination and adventure as a family.

So, here’s to the dads, grandpas, uncles, mentors, and all the quiet navigators helping the next generation find their heading. I hope this Father’s Day you make the time to explore.

Happy Father’s Day from the Analog Explorer.