Today I have had the pleasure of speaking with two female plumbers in different parts of the country.
We have been sharing stories about our journeys into the plumbing world.
It seems our journeys have been quite similar.
We all started off doing something completely different.
I was a primary school teacher,
Karen, a computer art designer and Mary a nurse.
I know why I chose plumbing, because of my love for water and metal and making things work.
For Karen, it was that she wanted to earn money for herself and be proud of a job well done. Mary just knew she wanted to plumb.
It’s clear though that for all three of us plumbing has changed our lives. You could say, it has given us our lives.
So much so that Stopcocks Women Plumbers is now dedicated to creating the next generation of female plumbers, and I am writing a book called simply… ‘The Joy of Plumbing’
The journey from tomboy to sports fiend to motorcycle dispatch rider to teacher to plumber shows that women are mistresses of reinvention.
The liberation of my life and the confidence I have gained through being a plumber is not unique to me. Both my companion plumbers agreed that making that change gave them things they never could have predicted.
I’m not the only one to say ‘It’s not about the plumbing’. It’s about being a hero, fixing a problem, designing perfection, seeing the look of relief in the customers eyes when you turn up…. on time, and do a neat and competent job, and leave them smiling.
It’s about leading the life you want, and having the confidence to step into any situation knowing you’ll endure.
It’s The Joy of Plumbing!!
Out Now, just go to Joy of Plumbing
Good post!!