How Many Feminists Does It Take To Install A Garage Door Opener?

I just had our garage door opener installed by a male feminist on a mission of empowerment. It was kind of awesome.

I had to call Eric when he arrived, because the installer guy asked me if the hardware store sold us an essential piece of hardware. I didn't know, because I wasn't there when Eric bought it, so I had to ask. I didn't think it was such a big deal, but Garage-Door-Opener-Installer-Feminist (GDOIF) gave me a "Really?" look. You know, like,"Really, you're going to call your husband because I asked a simple question about hardware? Really?" But I didn't know! So anyway, I start explaining what the guy explained to me, but I coulld tell Eric was confused, so I just handed the phone over to GDOIF, and he just kind of did an, "Okay....just this once" look. Except not nearly as patronizing as that sounds. Maybe it was more like, "You poor, misguided, domestic slave" look.

So then, before Eric gets off the phone, I ask GDOIF if he had any more questions, and he said, "No." But THEN, as soon as I hang up, the little schemer, goes, "...not any questions you couldn't answer on your own." Say what??

So he asks me where I want the keypad, and I guess, "To the left? Closest to the house?" and he says, "Good call." Confidence building. Then he asks me if we have any light bulbs, and I say, "I don't think so, but I'll check." and he says, "No big deal if you don't. You can just put the bulbs in later." And I joke, "Or he can..." referring to my husband, and, really, let's face it, I'm not even joking a little bit when I say it, and he says, not joking in the least, "I'll show you what You need to do as soon as I'm done here." It was subtle, but the You was definitely capitalized.

Okaaay...

I call Eric back, to find out where we keep the light bulbs, and to ask him if he wants a detector installed that lets us know if the door is open, and GDOIF chuckles a little and shakes his head. My reliance on my husband for questions regarding garage-related operations management is amusing. But maybe also a little bit sad.

So then he finishes up, and gives me the two remote controllers, and I say, "Oh okay, and this is for his car?" and he says, "Your car too" and me, being the Give of TMI, say, "Oh I don't drive" and he corrects me again with, "It's your car, too," Awesome.

I didn't really catch that he was trying to release the womyn in me (nothing like that... geez), because he wasn't overbearing with it. He just left little clues that I was capable of making decisions and claiming ownership over the garage. I'm sorry, Our garage. MY garage. (but mostly our garage, since I never ever ever go in there).

It made me laugh, knowing he cared, but it also made me kind of wonder what the deal was. I mean, he definitely had a hippie vibe going on, so no guess there that he liked taking power away from The Man any chance he got, but then I also kind of worried that maybe I do have an air of submissiveness about me. I thought it was just laziness, but apparently it doesn't really come across that way. Perhaps, in general, I just don't give myself enough credit, not because I'm a woman, but because I'm me. At this point, I really can't even guess why he felt the need to empower me today.

I can only say this: Eric, you're still putting in the light bulbs. ROAR.