Don't You Hate When You Can't Do Something Easy?

Dishwashers. I was one of those at a restaurant and a fast food place when I was much younger (still in college). But having them installed in your house is another matter all together.

Here is what I mean. Recently, I had to have a new dishwasher placed in my house. The installer was a young guy, about 10 years younger than me. He had to turn off the power to the dishwasher by using a circuit breaker board we all have in our homes. I know where our's is, but I couldn't tell you what any of the circuit breakers control.

I felt like an idiot.

Then he had to turn off the hot water. Now, I have turned off all of the water in our house before, but never just the hot water. He had it done in less than 30 seconds.

Again, I felt like an idiot.

These are easy things! Everybody should know how to do these things once they hit the age of 13 or 14. But because it has been so long since I've done them, I forgot how.

One of my best friends is a professional carpenter. I have gone on jobs with him a few times and just been amazed at what he can do with tools and with his hands.  Two years ago, he and I made a pair of sawhorses for my father for his birthday present. He also came and fixed a garbage can that I set on fire (please, don't ask). Now it needs to be fixed again, and he will be the one I call for help.

The idiot in me lurks.

BUT, there are some things that I do that impress everyone. There is the yardwork. The shoveling is another one. This past January, I was outside and shoveling over six feet of snow so that we could have a pathway to our driveway as well as to get rid of our Christmas tree.

And then there is speaking in public. I have no problem with public speaking. I have given more people directions on how to do that without fear or anxiety than on anything else. For me, I was never afraid to do it. I started as a lector in church when I was only 13 years old. I have spoken before crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands at national rallies, on television, and in small cafes. I love it. I fail to see why people are so afraid of their own voices, yet they have no problem speaking on the telephone.

Time to get back to not being able to do easy things. I have another friend, a woman, who is gifted. She is the most caring human being I have met in my life. When we go out, she almost always finds a person in need of a friend or of help.  Instead of ignoring that person, she sits with him or her and offers that person words of encouragement. People have come up to her and called her an angel. All she does is listen and say what she is feeling. I try, but I find a way to mess that up, too. But I will try again:

To Tanner: Here is my apology, I am sorry for all of the stupid trash that I have posted. Let us allow bygones be bygones. I couldn't write what I meant.

Thank you, everybody.