I needed to move a heavy glass aquarium to a different position in my apartment. Even after I’d mostly drained it of water, it was still too cumbersome and weighty for me to handle by myself.
I consulted Craigslist and made a few calls, and eventually hired two fellows from a moving service to come over and do the job. They did it in less than ten minutes. Cost me fifty dollars–that was the cheapest quote I could find.
Afterward, I was struck by a realization and a terrible sadness. Not about the fee I had to pay, which I considered frankly exorbitant
There was not a single male in my life, much less two, that I could have called on to help me accomplish this chore. I had to hire strangers.
The pain this realization caused me was not self-pity. I have no sympathy for myself whatsoever. It is I who have done this to myself.