The choice of
the name Essex goes back many dog moons, all
the way back to the fall of 1975. Dog
Dad was a freshman at Wittenberg University in Springfield,
Ohio. He reported early to attend soccer training camp. His roommate had
arrived a shortly before and had selected the bed by the window. His roommate was a young man named Eric, who
went by “Rick.” Rick’s pawther was an
aviator aboard the Essex during the Korean War.
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| Why the Name Essex? |
Wittenberg was a different world for Dog Dad. He was
from a blue collar family. Grand Paw
worked for Ford Motor; Grand Maw was a house wife. Many of his classmates had doctors, lawyers
and such for parents. Dog Dad didn’t feel
he fit in, but then that is typical Dog Dad.
Dog Dad is a reserved hooman and meeting new people is stressful. Dog Dad has gotten better at it over time, but he is
a hooman with only a few people he calls friends and he avoids crowds. He would tell you the loneliest place in the
world is a crowd.
It was during
his freshman year, Dog Dad realized something that had a major impact on his
life. Like most teenagers, he felt messed
up. At Wittenberg the light came on as he realized
everyone else was just as messed up. He
was not alone. The rich, the elite and
even the popular had problems. That
knowledge changed his outlook on life. Thus the
name Essex marked a pivotal moment in his life.
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| A Pivotal Moment |
Dog Dad and
Rick have not seen each other since college.
Dog Dad thinks of his roommate at times and remembers those days. When it came time to name his collie pup, he wanted
a name with a story. He thought of Wittenberg and his
roommate. When people asked why Essex,
he told them his college roommate’s father was an aviator aboard the Essex
during the Korean War and it made him think of college. That is only part of the story.
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| The Rest of the Story |
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| Rick's Dad Visited the Moon |
Cyber-paw
pals, this was Dog Dad’s brush with fame.
His roommate was the oldest son of the “Mr. Armstrong.” Now Dog Dad knew the son and not the
father. Thus the name Essex makes Dog
Dad thinks of Wittenberg,
his college roommate, a July night in front of a flickering black & white
TV, and above all his beloved collie girl that taught him so much. Like Dog Dad, the story of the name Essex is simple, complex and runs deep like still water. Now you know the rest of the story.
Dog Speed,
Sherman
Paw-SSS - Dog Dad turned the comments off for this story.
