My mother and father were from the old country and all they wanted was for their kids to be successful. When they said successful, they meant we needed to go to college and become either a doctor or a lawyer. There was nothing in between. When I told dad and mom I didn’t want to go to college, my mom cried. She sobbed so loudly that I was sure the neighbors thought someone had died. I tried to comfort her, but she pushed me away. She didn’t want to talk to me until I came to my senses. Dad wasn’t quite as upset. He sat at the table and stared at me. He wanted to know what I wanted to do? I told him I wanted to be an HVAC technician. He said nothing. His eyes didn’t even blink. I wanted to see if there were any holes in my skin because of his stare. He asked why I wanted to be an HVAC technician? I didn’t know how to answer the question, except to tell him I thought it was an honorable and lucrative profession. Being an HVAC technician would bring me joy and I could help others while doing the job. He nodded and said he would talk to my mother. My announcement devastated her, but once she understood what I wanted to do, I would make her proud. I wasn’t so sure my father was right, but I would wait for her to talk to me. An hour later, she pressed her lips to the top of my head and said that if I wanted to be an HVAC technician, she would support my decision. She handed me a check to cover the amount of school tuition.