Wind Chime

Before I went to May's BBQ yesterday I decided that it was a good day to put up the wind chime that my parents had recently given me.  Up until now it had been hanging temporarily on my mailbox but it really needed to be mounted and hung from the top of my porch.  So I dragged the tall ladder out of the garage and set about making it the proper height and adjusting it against the side of my porch.  This took several minutes but I figured it out and got out the hook and my husband's hammer.  As I was about to climb up the ladder I noticed that a group of Navy AIT students had stopped to watch me.  I live on a military post and it is a pretty common occurrence to see AIT students walk by my house throughout the day.  Today however, this particular group of guys did not keep walking.  Instead, they literally stopped to watch what I was doing from across the street.  I decided to ignore them and proceeded to climb up the ladder.  Once I had climbed up as far as I felt was safe I began to screw the hook into the roof of my porch.  I won't lie and pretend like it was really easy.  It did take me a few tries especially since I was trying to only use one hand so I could hold on to the ladder with the other.  While in the midst of struggling to attach the hook I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that the group of AIT students was STILL watching.  I started to get a little annoyed.  I felt like telling them that if they were going to watch then maybe the could lend me a hand?  But they hadn't offered any help and I wasn't expecting them to any time soon.  I sighed and went back to my task.  The Navy guys did not leave until I had finished and had successfully hung up my wind chime.  I was proud of myself for getting the chime up by myself and I am happy with the way it is hanging.  Later that day when I spoke to my mom she was shocked that I had climbed the ladder without any help.  Even though I am proud of what I accomplished and feel like I once again proved that I am not helpless without Hubby, I wanted to put this out there to the Navy AITers that watched me struggle.  Next time that you see a woman struggling to do a task that she would probably normally have help with, why don't you offer to lend a hand?  The worst that she can say is no thanks and she might appreciate the offer.  Her hubby might be away and unable to help her out.  Just don't offer in a way that makes it seem like she needs your help because she can't do it by herself.  Offer because you know that you would want someone to look out for YOUR family if you couldn't be there to help.