My Life in a Picture
This picture is a description of my life. See the heels on top of the makeshift plastic closet, the tools in the background and the fine layer of dirt that seems to have settled on…everything? This is my world – one that combines the elements of a regular woman’s life with the chaos and grime of a construction worker’s dream job.
You see, behind the dirt, sawdust and chaos of my “constructed life,” I am a girlie-girl and I always have been (as much as I hate to admit it). I highlight my hair regularly, don’t leave the house without makeup on, adore my high heels and appreciate a good pair of hip-hugging jeans. But somehow, one year ago, my stilettos were regularly tossed aside for work boots, my super-cute outfits became second string to my paint-splattered work pants and I became comfortable wandering around with plaster in my hair. How life changes once you plunge a hammer through a wall and are left to put the pieces back together yourself. But here’s the final verdict: I’m okay with it.
In a way, I almost feel like I’m leading a double life.
By day, I’m a young professional that no one would guess spends hours each week getting dirty rebuilding her home. After hours, my hair goes up into a ponytail, I put my glasses on (along with my grubbiest clothes) and my fingernails become covered in paint, drywall dust, mortar and mud (which I scrub off each night before returning to the office). Every morning before I leave my house, I scan my clothing for lingering drywall dust and wipe scuffs from my shoes, making my best effort to look put together though my home is in a state of complete disrepair. Few people know this about me and even fewer would ever guess it. I love the fact that I know my way around The Gap just as well I as I know my way around a nail gun and a miter saw. Somehow, it’s empowering and makes me feel like I’m a real contribution to the definition of the word “woman.”
So what’s my point? Is this just another example of how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Yeah, it probably is. But more than that, it’s an example of not being afraid to do what you never thought you could, what you’ve never been educated to do and what you’re left to figure out on your own. It’s an example of leaving your comfort zone, crossing boundaries and just doing what you have to do to get the job done. And doing your best to stay sane and have some fun while doing it.
In short – I’m really proud of myself. I’m proud of Joey and me and our friends and family who have helped and supported us through the past year of a remodeling project that was only supposed to take 3 months. I’m grateful that I know how to frame a wall, that I did it with my husband and that I still looked good the day after doing it.
As I’ve said before, if I can do this stuff and still walk around pretending I didn’t just emerge from a home once described as “a bomb site,” so can you. Just suck it up and give it a try – you’ll impress yourself with what you can do and how easy it is to conceal complete disarray with properly combed hair and the right pair of pants.
You fucking rock.