Men and Women working together

Yesterday I had two men at my home to do a couple of things I needed done that I couldn't do myself.  The first to arrive was in his twenties the second to arrive was in his fifties.  I got the fifty year old started by showing him what needed to be done and we discussed what he thought he needed to do and I agreed.  I turned back to the twenty year old and started to tell him what I wanted from him and he started out with, here's what I was told you want, but here's why that decision is wrong about materials.  I told him I understood that he was supposed to push that other material, but I really wanted the materials that I had indicated.  He tried again to tell me I was wrong.  I then told him that if he didn't think he could do what I wanted that I could find someone else.  He apologized and said they COULD do what I wanted.  But over the course of the next 10 minutes he mentioned the material that he thought would be better several times.  I told him again why I wanted to materials that I requested and after measuring, he was on his way. 

In the meantime, the fifty year old shows up with the materials he needs for the repair.  We had a great time talking to each other and I told him about the encounter with the 20 year old. He laughed and said he would have stopped asking the first time I explained why I wanted what I wanted.  He laughed again and said, "He's just young.  He hasn't learned yet."  So, I followed him around as he fixed what I needed and then he needed my help for the final repair.  He was asking me about myself and I told him about growing up with a lot of men and helping them.  I said, they always told me what needed to be done and I told them what I was capable of doing and they just had to work around that.  I told him my rules for moving furniture are that I always walk forward, with the piece in front of me, I don't do the behind the back carry (how do men do that?).  I also always carry the lightest end even if that means we have to move the piece around so it is oriented so that I walk forward.  Finally, if I say I need to put it down, I NEED TO PUT IT DOWN!!! even if we are two feet from where it needs to be. The men I worked with were okay with the rules because they needed the help and were smart, realizing that men and women are different and that men have to modify how they work sometimes to make things go smoothly.  The fifty year old agreed and said it is about communication with woman.  He said men know when something isn't going to fit through a doorway and there is a silent communication to rotate it.  With woman, he said, you need to discuss the plan ahead of time.  As we worked together, he did just that, told me what he was going to do and made sure I was ready to do my part......verbally.....grin. I guess thirty years of marriage had taught him about men and women working together and it was a pleasant afternoon for both of us.