I was so lucky to have a Mom who told me throughout my life that "a woman can do anything a man can do except pee in a bottle". My Dad had said it first, but he died when I was nine, so my Mom made sure I continued to hear that sentence over and over so it would sink into my hard head. She taught me to change a tire when I was about 13 so I wouldn't have to wait to be saved by a stranger. Later in life, when I got a hole in my radiator hose I didn't think twice to pull out a screwdriver and repair it myself. When my alternator went out I replaced it on my own. Thermal coupler on my house heater? No prob. Window glass broke? Yep. I have to be honest. I broke the first one installing it, but practice makes perfect! I have changed a few locks on my doors. One time, when my son was a toddler, I was in the middle of installing a bolt lock and Damien pulled my pants down while my hands were full. I had two choices: drop the lock on his head or continue. Luckily no one walked by and I was able to get the parts in place without being 'exposed' to the outside world. I was also able to almost make a friend pee her pants telling her the story.
By believing I could I did. It's so important to try. I admit that now that I live with Paul I let him do the jobs that require crawling under the house, but I know I can still do for myself when needed. Yes, it's nice to have a door opened for me, but it's good to know that I can open it for myself when needed.
