The HVAC tech smiled and shrugged
I knew it had been a long time since I had changed the air filter in my air conditioning unit. When my husband walked out on me, I didn’t know how to do the home maintenance. He did everything around the house, and he left me in the dark. I didn’t know if I was angrier at him for walking out on me, or for not showing me how to do the home’s maintenance. It took a couple of months before I could face anyone or anything without breaking down. It was another month before I found his maintenance list. At the top of the list was changing the air filter in the air conditioning unit, or the furnace. I didn’t even know there was an air filter, let alone knowing where it could be found. I called the HVAC company and asked them if they could come to the house and show me where to find the air filter in the air conditioning unit. When the HVAC tech showed up the next day, he showed me where to find the air filter. When he went to pull it out, I thought he got a hernia. It had been so long since the air filter had been changed that it had become clogged and lodged inside the AC unit. I was so embarrassed,embarrassed; I was sure I looked like I had a sunburn. The HVAC tech smiled and shrugged. He told me he came across this situation more often than he could count. I was sure he was fudging it, but I said thank you.