When I turned sixteen, my dad asked me if I wanted a job? He needed someone to work in the parts room and do the inventory.
I loved the job and it gave me enough money to purchase a car and have some money to go out with my friends. I didn’t have time to get bored after school, and I could go out on dates without needing to ask for money from my parents. I felt like I had it made back then. I worked there for almost two years before I thought about making it a permanent job. I was alone in the shop all afternoon while the HVAC technicians were working, and the secretary left early. My dad had left to take mom to the doctor’s and it was just me. A customer called and started rattling on about what was happening with her furnace. I tried to tell her there were no HVAC technicians available, but she wasn’t listening. She kept asking if I could diagnose the furnace for her and tell her if it was an emergency. I told her I was just the head of inventory, and she would need to wait for an answer. One of the HVAC technicians should be back in about half an hour. She told me she couldn’t wait and once again said it was an emergency. I asked for her name and phone number and told her the owner of the HVAC commpany would return shortly, and I would have him call. This mollified her, and she said that would be perfect. She wanted to tell him I was a poor excuse for an HVAC technician.