Embracing Reality (Or Not)

There’s the version of yourself that you hold, and then there’s the version others see. Yesterday, I removed the gutter screens above our front door, which had been causing runoff problems during heavy rains. I set my heavy-duty 10-foot fiberglass step ladder firmly on the front sidewalk, climbed up to assess which tools I needed, then climbed back down to get a socket and a driver.

As I was walking back to the ladder, a pickup truck pulled up to the curb, and a younger man got out and greeted me. He asked if I needed any help, which I found unexpected. I explained that I was just removing the gutter screen over our door. He told me he does roof and gutter work for a living and was there to see one of my neighbors about a gutter issue. He offered to remove the screens for me, free of charge, since he already had all the tools in his truck.

I thought, why not? So I told him that it would be great if he didn’t mind. With the ladder already set up, it took him less than five minutes to complete the job.

Later, I learned he had told the neighbor he was worried when he saw an “old man” on a ladder while driving in, fearing he might fall and get hurt. “Who me?” Sometimes, reality hits you hard. I certainly don’t perceive myself as someone who needs to be rescued from a 10-foot ladder.

I suppose the lesson on Valentine’s Day is to love yourself, even if you suspect a much older clone is out there impersonating you to everyone else.