My husband, Technology Man, is most definitely a professional in six areas of his life. Those are as follows and in no certain order; being the best custodial dad to his daughter, anything remittance processing related, anything website design or social media related, speaking about anything remittance processing or website design or social media related (hence the name, Technology Man), knowledge of all things Disney (specifically WDW) and Black Friday shopping.
However, there are many times when Technology Man states to the family, “Don’t worry, I’m a professional,” which causes us to laugh until we cry! This is either because he believes he is a professional at things he clearly is not OR he tries to convince himself through positive self-talk that he can do something he has little working knowledge of OR he says it just to get a response out of us.
Here are just a few of the vast array of possible events that are prefaced with “Don’t worry, I’m a professional”: super-gluing something (he hates glue), planning a road trip (he relies on GPS 100%), replacing something that requires circuit breakers to be turned off (he thinks a YouTube video qualifies as training), quizzing kids on vocabulary words (he mispronounces most), doing the laundry (he thinks Clorox fixes everything), cooking (everyone say together now, Ramen noodles), ordering subs for the family to share (he believes everyone loves jalapeños!) loading the dishwasher (never the same way twice!), hanging Christmas lights on the outside of the house (he’s deathly afraid of heights), going grocery shopping (he needs a specific list, hand-drawn layout of store AND texting support), distributing laundry (leads to at least one kid announcing “Dad, I don’t think this will fit me!”) and last, but not least, picking out his own outfits (he selects items off the top or from the end of the rack regardless of the day’s events or weather).
I don’t say any of this out of anger or frustration (ok, maybe the one about the dishwasher) or to belittle him. Rather, it’s to remind myself that we all have strengths and weaknesses. Some of which are more obvious than others. What’s so great about Technology Man is that he can make fun of himself and have a good time doing the things he doesn’t like or care to do, but have to get done. This is great modeling for the kids who are often apprehensive about new experiences or challenges or simply tired of the mundane chores. To watch their dad tackle a job with a positive attitude shows them how to do it for themselves when the need arises, instead of letting fear and apprehension overwhelm them. Jumping in cracks open the door to their future, showing them they absolutely can do more than they think they can! Perhaps more importantly, one successful experience lays the groundwork for another.
So the next time you need to do a not-so-fun or easy job, just do as Technology Man does. Say out loud with confidence, “Don’t worry, I’m a professional” and see how it works for you!
What does the man of your house do “as a professional?”
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