i wore shoes with no socks
so yesterday I fixed a flat on my bike myself for the first time.
part of me wants to be all like wooot! yeah! but it was so easy. seriously easy. even intuitive.
so that made me think, why didn't i just try to fix it myself the first time i got a flat?
i think it's has to do with the mystification of manly things as a woman.
i mean there are so many things in this world, especially fixing and tinkering with things, that women are just taught to be scared of, defer to someone else for, wait & see, etc. whereas men are always taught to try to do things themselves.
i shouldn't say always, but in my experience it has been this way.
i always loved building things, and i like to think i'm very spatially aware, able to see things in my mind and construct them (something that makes sense seeing as my father is a freakin' mechanical engineer!) yet still i feel like my dad was always trying to show my brother how to use tools in our garage even though i was obviously more interested. instead i got pushed into more feminine projects, like painting my dresser, my walls, rearranging the furniture, etc. but why? why!
i feel like if i had been encouraged as a child, i would have as much if not more mechanical knowledge than all the dudes in my life, but i don't.
and i'm sick of it.
this wee bitty bike tire is a prophet of things to come. i'm not letting any dudes do anymore fixing of things for me (unless it's my super). i've always loved tinkering and fixing things and i WILL do more of it and be good at it AND enjoy myself.
i also want to try to understand my computer better and fix and install things on it myself and learn how to use half the applications i have.
that reminds me, i also need to learn how as well as file my taxes.
any takers?
part of me wants to be all like wooot! yeah! but it was so easy. seriously easy. even intuitive.
so that made me think, why didn't i just try to fix it myself the first time i got a flat?
i think it's has to do with the mystification of manly things as a woman.
i mean there are so many things in this world, especially fixing and tinkering with things, that women are just taught to be scared of, defer to someone else for, wait & see, etc. whereas men are always taught to try to do things themselves.
i shouldn't say always, but in my experience it has been this way.
i always loved building things, and i like to think i'm very spatially aware, able to see things in my mind and construct them (something that makes sense seeing as my father is a freakin' mechanical engineer!) yet still i feel like my dad was always trying to show my brother how to use tools in our garage even though i was obviously more interested. instead i got pushed into more feminine projects, like painting my dresser, my walls, rearranging the furniture, etc. but why? why!
i feel like if i had been encouraged as a child, i would have as much if not more mechanical knowledge than all the dudes in my life, but i don't.
and i'm sick of it.
this wee bitty bike tire is a prophet of things to come. i'm not letting any dudes do anymore fixing of things for me (unless it's my super). i've always loved tinkering and fixing things and i WILL do more of it and be good at it AND enjoy myself.
i also want to try to understand my computer better and fix and install things on it myself and learn how to use half the applications i have.
that reminds me, i also need to learn how as well as file my taxes.
any takers?