Parking Lot Ponderings

My mother and I ventured to IKEA today, and an interesting thing happened at the carpark. Lots of people, and lots of cars, as always, but I found a nice parking spot not too far from the entrance. I drove past the spot, and turned to the right in order to reverse back into it. This is the way I usually park, unless there are too many cars coming from behind. You see, somehow people never seem to expect you to park that way and they keep coming too close. Anyway, as I started the maneuver I noticed this older man watching me, and I knew he was actually curious to see how I'd manage. I did fine (what else?), and we left the car and headed towards the store. But this man approached me as we passed, and said something like: "I'm so impressed! I've never seen a woman do a reverse parking so perfectly before. All in one go."


Isn't it funny? He'd never say something like that to man, in fact he wouldn't even have stopped to check the action out. Men are supposed to handle things like reverse parking and simple household plumbing, but there's nothing genetically supporting that idea. I wonder though, does it make me more or less of a woman when I can fix these things myself? I know the answer, but it has taken me a while. Actually, for a long time I thought I didn't fit into the label "woman". I too (of course) was influenced by the traditional gender models, and knew I was too much of a "techie" to be truly feminine. But as I was sure I wasn't a man either, I kind of felt like nothing. Strange thought really, and a long gone one now as well. But this woman remembers when she felt like "nothing".

When all this happened at the carpark I immediately saw the blogpost, thinking of how we discussed reverse parking before, me and a friend. For most people it's about better view and safer departure from the spot itself, but my friend learned while spending time in "danger zones" it was the only way to park - you needed to be able to get out as quick as hell if things were getting complicated. Perhaps not the worst of approaches; it's good to know there's a way out.