My dad and I have been competing ever since I was old enough to know what competition was.
I was having a difficult time trying to figure out why we had to compete all the time, but it was part of who we were.
When I got old enough to go to HVAC school, I jumped at the chance. My father had gone from a new HVAC technician to a HVAC company owner in five years. I knew I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t beat his record. How I was going to be an HVAC and an HVAC company owner in less than five years was something I would need to work through. I met my wife while in the HVAC classes. She and I worked together on different projects and we laughed a lot. It took less than a month before we realized we belonged together. I felt so happy and calm when I was around her, and I didn’t think anything would ever change that. It wasn’t until I told her about the competition my father and I were always in, that she got upset with me. She asked why I always had to be better than my dad, but I couldn’t answer her question. I only knew that it started when I was young, and it just kept getting worse. She told me that if I couldn’t get along with my dad, she and I wouldn’t make it either. I talked to my dad that afternoon, and told him about my conversation with Jenny. He shook my hand and said I finally beat him. I had found the girl of my dreams in 22 years. He didn’t find mom until he was almost thirty.