I asked him to listen to me.
Ever since I was a child, my father had been priming me to take over his HVAC company when I grew up. I tried to tell him that I didn’t want to be an HVAC technician, but he didn’t listen. He told me I would change my mind when I grew up, but I never did. When I graduated high school, he told me he had already checked the local community college. They were running an HVAC technical school during the summer months. I could have my certification before the end of the year. Under his tutelage, he was sure I could take over the company by the time I was twenty-one. I indulged him for a while, but I knew I had to tell him I wasn’t going to school for HVAC. I talked to mom and asked if she would tell him, but she reminded me I was a man. It was my duty to talk to my dad and not come to mommy for help. That evening, I sat down to talk to my dad. He was going on and on about me being an HVAC technician. He said he couldn’t wait till he could retire. I asked him to listen to me. I explained to him that I had never wanted to be an HVAC technician. I hoped he wasn’t angry with me, but my sister wanted to own the HVAC company. I wouldn’t mind working with her on the business side of the company, but I didn’t want to be an HVAC technician. He thanked me for my honesty, but it took him three days of sulking before he talked to me again.