The Altman Close

Chapter 3MY FIRST CLOSE

I come from a family of closers, people who make money: Mom, Dad, older brother – closers. I used to joke I never understood how Dad ever landed Mom, but I knew all along it was simple. They were both quality people. He offered to share a great life with her as she too offered him. They shared the same values, the same dreams of family. They closed each other. I always admired that and wanted to replicate it someday. I have. But that’s not the story here.

As for Matt, he’d kick my ass all the time as any older brother would, yet do it with love, and our competitive edge stayed supportive of one another. Also, being the younger brother I developed a better sense of humor than that stiff did. LOL. He’s going to hit me for that.

Matt was always a role model to me. My parents instilled in him a work ethic that only made sense to admire. In school, I never quite caught his same flow, but I’d watch him on the field – soccer and football. I’d see his dedication, his spirit, his fight, his success. When Matt got into the University of Colorado to play football, I wanted something similar. I wanted the praise, the power, the pride.

But my mouth stood in my way. As you’ll read later, one of my flaws was clowning. I had yet to learn the art of listening. In plain, I couldn’t shut the hell up or stop busting balls or focus. This affected my football practice, which reflected in my performance. When I felt my football career was threatened, I knew I had to buckle ...