I started as a helper in the summers for a small HVAC company. I stayed in the business for 7ish years, eventually getting my state of Texas HVAC contractor's

I started as a helper in the summers for a small HVAC company. I stayed in the business for 7ish years, eventually getting my state of Texas HVAC contractor's license. After graduating college, I got out of HVAC and moved into controls which wound up taking me across the world. I got tired of the field and moved into product management. The toll that construction takes is real. I have too many scars from sheet metal cuts to count; burns; exposure to asbestos, phosgene, and benzene; heat stroke; electrocutions; falls from ladders; etc. My boss previously broke his back after falling through a ceiling. I've been on sites where people cut off multiple fingers in stupid accidents, have nearly died, or have fallen to their death. I'm in my late 30's and have been diagnosed with hearing loss which I attribute to working around heavy equipment and construction sites.