30 Days of Joy: The Bathroom Sink

For me, it’s been a more formidable foe than it should be. But not anymore.

Brent Stoller
Jul 22, 2017 · 2 min read

Note: This article is the next step in my challenge to find joy in something — anything — every day for 30 days. Today’s entry is part 10.

I am not handy.

In fact, I’m the exact opposite. A look at a few of handy’s antonyms tells my story:

Unskilled; bumbling; bungling; clumsy; awkward; inept.

When it comes to fixing anything, be it around the house, with my car or anywhere else where at least two parts are fused to form a greater sum, I’m best described as my favorite antonym:

Useless.

So whenever I do try to fix something, my misguided efforts are accompanied by a wave of inadequacy and anxiety. I doubt my abilities to make the situation better while being confident I’m going to make it worse.

It was with this mindset that I attempted to unclog my wife’s bathroom sink.

She sheds like a golden retriever. Her hair is in so many places — on the floor, in the dryer, wrapped around the squeegee in our shower — I wonder how she has any left on her head.

(If only she and I could trade follicle production systems.)

And not surprisingly, it’s recently infiltrated her sink drain.

After consulting YouTube — the ultimate double-edge sword, arming me with just enough knowledge to make me dangerous — I did my best to follow instructions without flooding the rest of our house.

I removed the sink stopper. I snaked the drain. I created a concoction of vinegar, baking soda and hot water to flush things out. I braced for disaster as I turned on the faucet once everything was reassembled.

My wife, G-d bless her, has learned over the years how tense I get, and she did her best to avoid me while I worked.

But sensing she was walking on eggshells served as a wake-up call.

Instead of focusing on what could go wrong, I needed to focus on what I was doing right:

I was stepping out of my safe space and taking on a new challenge, no matter how small, and I was willing to risk my manhood and our master suite to do so.

That’s what counted.

The fact that her drain now runs clean is just a bonus.

Call to Action

If you’re ready to become a better communicator, decision-maker and risk-taker while also boosting your overall happiness, check out my video, “5 Strategies That Will Make You Unstoppable.”

Click here right now to get the video!

And visit www.BrentStoller.com for more!

100 Naked Words

Est. May 2016. 100 vulnerable words, one day at a time. Every day.

Brent Stoller

Written by

Writer in Texas. www.BrentStoller.com.

100 Naked Words

Est. May 2016. 100 vulnerable words, one day at a time. Every day.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade