History of Father’s Day
Father’s Day is right around the corner and whilst people are getting caught up in the stress of buying presents and cards, we want to take a step back and look at the real meaning behind this special day and what it takes to be a dad. Father’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1910. People would spend the day with their dads, celebrating them and all that they had done for the family. From the USA to Hong Kong, this tradition has spread across the world and continues to be a yearly celebration.
Nowadays, thanks to all the amazing technology right at our fingertips, we are able to easily reminisce and share memories and pictures with each other, no matter where we are in the world. This makes it simple to pass stories down between generations and celebrate all that it means to be a dad.
We talked to our CEO, Michael Chang, about some of his best moments with his dad Milton, his favourite things about being a father himself and the power of sharing memories.
Interview with CEO of Capture.HK
Q1: How did your dad inspire you as you grew up?
My dad’s work ethic and how he treated people were the two most inspiring things about him to me. He really poured himself into his work, so I think that set the tone for me. This was especially true when I began working and eventually started my own company, and I have always strived to emulate the dedication he had to his work.
Seeing how he treated others was also a big thing because he saw everyone as an equal. It didn’t matter who you were, he’d want to get to know you and your story. He would always emphasise how important it was to treat everyone with mutual respect, no matter who they were.
Q2: What is your favourite memory with your Dad?
I recently found a photo from when I was 10 years old, when my family and I took a fishing trip to a lake in Southern California one summer. The whole way there, my dad would not stop talking about how good he was at fishing. We got totally kitted out in the best fishing gear and took a little motorboat out onto the lake. We would start fishing in one area, not catch anything, and then immediately move to a new area and try again, with my dad being adamant that this was just “not the right spot.” This happened four or five times, till it became very clear we had no idea what we were doing. In fact, driving around that much probably scared away all the fish!
It was so nice to find that picture as I was reminded of us laughing non-stop at how terrible we were at fishing and what a fun day we had had out on the boat.
Q3: What lessons did you take from your dad when you became a father?
My dad always made sure he treated my sister and I equally and never compared us. My sister and I are very different in terms of personality and interests, but I think our core values are the same because of that equal treatment. That definitely translated into how we’ve raised our three boys. We try not to compare them or ask them to emulate one another.
Q4: What is your dad like now that you have kids?
My dad definitely loves to spoil my kids, especially when it comes to giving out red envelopes. Growing up, I would get five dollars if I was lucky… My kids are now getting ridiculous amounts of laisees from him - even with inflation, it’s not fair! They also have three other grandparents who love to spoil them,, so my wife and I barely have to buy them stuff any more!
Q5: What was it like when you first became a dad?
When my first son was born I was so scared that he was going to get really sick if I did not wash my hands all the time, so I became a super crazy hand washer, which in hindsight was good training for the pandemic! But I was a crazy clean freak and would make sure that everything he touched was spotless. As time went on, and as all parents learn, kids are actually very resilient, so when my next two sons were born, we did the complete opposite and everything still turned out fine!
Q6: Do you see any differences in how your dad raised you versus how you’re raising your kids now?
I think the biggest one I see at the moment is with how much I nag my youngest two sons about finishing their food. With the variety and availability of choice these days, they have become pretty fussy eaters. Getting them to finish their meals may take hours, whereas my dad had it easy with me and my sister with less to choose from - we had to eat or go hungry!
Q7: What is your favourite part about being a dad?
I am so excited for all the new experiences my kids are going to have as they get older. My eldest son is currently in high school, and it’s cool hearing about all the stuff he’s doing. I think it’s really fun to see him and the younger boys figure things out for themselves, much like we all do when learning.
It is also nice to be able to reminisce about the old times and I think Google Photos is such a great tool to remind you of the past. I’ve really appreciated the way that it has organised all our pictures together. My wife and I will sometimes just spend an evening scrolling through photos, looking back at the kids when they were younger. It's cool to be transported back to that time when they were less active, less vocal and ironically spending less time on digital devices!
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Thank you so much to Michael for sharing his memories and experiences with us, and Capture would like to wish everyone a happy Father’s Day!
*This article is brought to you by Capture HK.
Capture HK is the premier analogue media digitisation company in Hong Kong.
Capture HK's business covers photographs, photo album digitisation, videotapes digitisation, including VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS-C Hi-8, Video8, Digital8, DV, DVCAM, MiniDV, DVC and digital media digitisation, including Secure Digital (SD), Smart Media (SM), MultiMediaCard (MMC) Compact Flash (CF), xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick, USB Drive, CDROM, DVD.
