Not Mechanically Inclined

My daughter told me once not to say that I was not mechanically inclined. "Every time you say it, you reinforce the idea that you are not." I try not to say it, but I know myself and I know I am not handy in putting things together. I remember when I needed to replace a bulb in my car head lights. In talking to different people, I was told, "Oh, that's easy to do. Just take off the screws holding the light, pop out the bulb and replace the glass, simple!"

If everyone was telling me how easy it was to replace a bulb, I thought I would go ahead and do it. I found a screwdriver and began the process. When my daughter came home from school I was getting ready to add the bumper to the parts I had already taken off, though the glass was still covering the lamp. "What are you doing," she asked. Proudly, I said, "I am going to replace the bulb but there are lots of screws and parts." I remember she shook her head in disbelief as she said, "See these two screws on either side of the light?" I nodded. She proceeded to remove the two screws, pulled out the glass, replaced the bulb and I realized that the two screws I had taken out were holding the whole frame of the light. From there, I just kept unscrewing and was on my way to dismantling my car!

She left me replacing the parts I had taken off my car and I suspect she was still shaking her head in disbelief! Later, as the years went by I did assemble my computer and felt happy and proud that I had been able to connect all the parts by following the different colors. Yet, every few months I would purchase an X-Box.  I purchased it and returned it three different times. I kept thinking I could handle the hooking it up, but every time I got stuck I returned the X-Box. Consequently, I do not own an X-Box.

Yesterday I purchased an office chair. When I got it home and opened it up I noticed there were about eight separate parts in the box. Should I return it or should I give it a try. Placing all the parts -- wheels (called casters), frame, a heavy part, seat, back screws, and Philips screwdriver -- on the table I opened the instruction book. It had pictures of the very parts I had placed on the table. Following

each step was time-consuming but at the end of about an hour I had my office chair completed. So what if the mechanism part to move it up or down doesn't work, I am satisfied with my chair.

I gather if I set my mind to do something, I can do it. I remember how upset my father would get with me when he tried to show me how to fix something and I would tell him, "I can't do that, my brain does not work like that." He would roll his eyes because he could fix anything. We never called outside help because he did everything himself. I think he would be proud of me to know how I tackled the chair and got it assembled. I know I am proud of me!

"If it's the right chair

it doesn't take too long

to get comfortable in it."

Robert DiNiro