On June 16th we celebrate our fathers. This means different things to different people. What makes a father? It’s all perspective. For some, it’s the man who taught you to throw a baseball. For others, it’s the father figure who taught them what a carburetor was. Maybe it’s simply the person who listened, who encouraged, and who helped them navigate life.
The B in BZ FurFur
Here at BZ FurFur HeadQuarters, there are two sides to the coin. The artist (Zona) and the man behind the curtain: Brian. Brian does not like the spotlight (he was not in favor of being the subject of this week’s blog), but I feel like he needs to be in the spotlight. He deserves my gratitude because truly, without him and his support, this little dream of mine would never have existed.
Brian wears several hats behind the scenes at BZ FurFur. There’s “The IT Guy”, creating all our digital content and our website bzfurfur.com. Then there’s “The Wordsmith” helping me to write our blog posts and IG posts. I assist with ideas, and facts, and sometimes I write them, but he always goes through and does the final edits. Sometimes he’ll simply ask me questions, note down my answers, and then turn them into a blog post. Lastly, there is “The Executive Producer” of PyroToasty Talks, the podcast we started with It’s David and Renee earlier this year. (Subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Episode 003 releases on Wednesday, June 12 to hear about how BZ FurFur got their start. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge).
The Person
Outside of BZ FurFur, he is an amazing person. His a full-time job, a Senior Software Engineer, has his days filled with writing code, debugging, working with his teammates, and problem-solving. This is the culmination of a career that has spanned over 20 years, steadily growing after receiving his B.S. in Computer Science from NYU back in 2003. His next scholastic ambition is to get his Master’s with a dual concentration in Information Security and Software Engineering from UNCC.
Brian is a self-proclaimed “nerd” with a love of board games, 8-bit animation and music. In his free time he likes to create pixel art (he’s pretty good at it), play guitar, and draw. He also has a good heart and volunteers every chance he gets by helping non-profit companies with their websites and other IT-related things.
The Dad
If you asked him what his greatest achievement is, though, it would be being a father. We have two teenage boys 16 and 14, who are a full-time job all on their own. Raising them has had it’s share of ups and downs and busy weekends. Brian is a leader in the Boy Scouts and has been since they were cubs, and his love of nature, self-reliance, and perseverance serve as an inspiration to the boys. Over the years he’s taken them on many adventures: Climbing and repelling, camping, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and countless other excursions. His favorite memory is taking them to Battleship Cove in Falls River, MA where they stayed overnight on a WWII-era battleship in the same quarters that the crew stayed in when it was deployed.
A huge part of his life is his strong connection to music, always going to concerts, and teaching himself both guitar and piano. This love of music has been passed on to the boys, one who’s developed a love for musicals, the other loves everything from Hip hop to Classic Rock. When I asked Brian what he felt the best part of being a Dad is he said: “Knowing that in no small way, you have been able to shape someone’s life in a meaningful way”.
To all the dads, the granddads, the uncles, the big brothers, the stepdads, and the father figures who make teach us, praise us, and push us to be the best we can, thank you. Thank you to my dad, God rest his soul, for teaching me to be the person I am today. Happy Fathers Day to you all.
Do you have a special man in your life you want to share a story about? Tag us @bz_furfur and, of course, stay unique.
