It’s driving me crazy. Having waited six weeks for the delivery of the right part, and chasing the supplier every week in between, I’ve finally been able to take on the challenge of replacing our washing machine door seal.
To my delight I discover a video from YouTube by the same parts supplier company explaining step by step how to do the job. First removing the water seal and tensioning spring – it happens just like in the video – what a treat. I’m feeling like a real man. Manly!
“Then, once you’ve fitted the inner seal of the new door seal…”. Wait a minute – how do I get that inner seal fitted? The video has skipped over the trickiest part of the job so far. Two hours later and I’m no further along.
So now it’s 9.30pm and I’m looking at a washing machine with no door seal (basically unusable) with no idea how to finish this job. I’m shattered tired, having been up at 6am to go sailing this morning. My hands and arms are aching and I want to just switch on the TV and make a cup of tea.
The sense of failure is huge. I’m not as much bother by the job itself being incomplete, or the bad instruction video. This washing machine door seal has come to symbolize my complete failure as a man, and in particular my failure to live up to my role as that grizzly bearded big muscled guy – “Dad”. Surely being good at DIY is a basic prerequisite for being a Dad?
I might be bearded (and it’s a bit grizzly from lack of grooming) but I’m definitely not muscular or particularly big. Presumably at some point my daughter will find out I’m not all those things – and I hate to have her so disappointed!
So here I am posting to my blog, and all the time the machine is calling. The job unfinished, the unusable machine, and a challenge to my masculinity, my position as a Dad.
I’m going to give it one more go……
