For years, I had enjoyed being an HVAC technician.
There wasn’t a job I went on that I didn’t find something fun about it.
Even when I was driving through snowstorms to get to a broken furnace, I was enjoying my job. Three days ago, I almost lost that joy. I was called to go to the house of an older man and his wife. Their air conditioning was broken and his wife had severe asthma. Without the air conditioning, she couldn’t breathe. I walked around to the back of the house so I could get to the air conditioning. There stood an old guy trying to get into the AC unit. I introduced myself and told him I was there to repair the air conditioning. He told me to get away from him and leave his home. He didn’t call for my help. I heard him mutter a few choice swear words, and he once again told me to go away. He was an HVAC technician when he was younger, and he could still find his way around an AC unit. I asked if he wanted me to help and got down on my haunches. After calling me a youngster, he looked me in the eye. He asked if I had any idea what it was like to not have anyone take him seriously about his career? I had to admit I didn’t, but I was still young. By the time we repaired the air conditioner, I wasn’t having as much fun. I was wondering if this was going to be me in another forty years.