I just had an absolutely amazing interaction with the man who came to fix our HVAC.
We have a pride progress flag doormat at our front door because we wanted to announce that anyone is welcome in our house. We've had it out for about 4 months now and no one has said anything. Cool.
Today, a man came to fix our HVAC and I lead him to the basement and show him the system blah blah woof woof. He goes back out to his truck for stuff and when he returns, he very sheepishly asks where I got the doormat, and I start talking about how well it's held up and how the colors are still nice and bright and he says "yeah, uh, I really like the colors".
And I pause and look at him and he's very clearly like...hedging, right. So I say "we want people to know they're welcome here whoever they are" and he beams and very proudly says his son is gay. Well, he didn't say gay. He just said he coaxed it out of him that he had a boyfriend and he was loved and how he wants to show support for his kid however he can because why wouldn't he!? He loves his son whoever he is and whoever he chooses to love.
I told him his son is very fortunate to have a dad like him. That a lot of kids don't, and his son will love and respect him for that support. He just beamed with so much pride for his kid. I literally almost cried right there.
Anyway, so I told him I'd try to find our receipt, but unfortunately they don't sell it anymore, so I direct him to Etsy and hoped he'll find something they all like (his wife and son have been getting pride stuff together).
We also start talking about trades and vocations and how men like him are leaving the fields, and that the knowledge and expertise he has is invaluable. He had fixed a couple things that didn't strictly need fixing but he's fastidious. I thanked him for that attention to detail.
As he's leaving i tell him the world needs more guys like him. Kind, humble, compassionate, knowledgeable. And he smiles his way back to his truck and I'll probably never see him again but I hope he and his family get everything they deserve and more.
Thanks D! You're a really good guy!
