Suddenly it seems many things need to be done around my house and I don’t want to do them. Some of that is because I need to be a little bit stronger or taller to accomplish the tasks. For 20 years I had my late husband who was tall and very strong to loosen the bolt or “man handle” the task into submission. Now I am on my own.
Today’s example was changing the battery in my lawn mower. I have procrastinated for over a week (maybe a month) and finally decided to do it today. Today was the day because for the past few days I could hear my late mother in my head fussing at me. She would have said “Sissy, you are perfectly able and strong enough to do this, get on with it”. So I took a break from work and went to the garage to do what my mom said. Well, the nut on the terminals were put on so tight and the space so small it made my potty mouth go full force (for those who know me well know that doesn’t take much). I am pretty strong but those things were tight I tell you. After much swearing and hit knuckles in the small space …. old battery out and new battery in. It is on the charger as I type this and mower will surely start tomorrow. TaDa! I could almost hear mom's approval.
My next task is needing tall and strong. Chose to buy patio umbrellas without the hand crank because they didn’t have the color I wanted with the crank. That means it is manual and I guess the fabric has shrunk because the damn thing needs more strength and height than I have. I think I will stop the next person going down my street who looks taller and stronger than me and ask for help on that one. Even mom in my head can’t make it work. Although as I have typed this, looking at that one umbrella I can’t get up, I may have thought of a solution. I will just drill a hole lower than the one in it and only short people can get under the umbrella. Being too short was part of the problem so I would be able to get under it and taller people may just have to duck.
I have a couple of girlfriends who tell me constantly to quit trying to do everything myself and to play the role of the helpless female and ask one of the men in my life to do things for me - even if I can do it myself. They tell me it is good for the male ego, ha! My mom would really be pissed at me for doing that. She raised me to be very independent. The other consideration is not wanting to pretend to be something I am not. Helpless female has never, ever been any part of me.
My “honey do” list has become quite long. By not giving in to “not wanting to be the girl” it will allow me to perhaps knock one thing a day out and make good progress on that list.
This honey has things to do ……
