Beside the lock gate

I had studied the printed instructions until I could recite the sequence, certain that preparation would make questions unnecessary. Then the iron handle refused to move. The people waiting in the boat looked up, and I felt heat rising into my face. I began explaining that I had only expected to observe that morning.

Mara stepped alongside me and placed her hands beside mine. She said that the handle often stuck in damp weather and that they always worked in pairs there. Her attention remained on the marker beside the gate, as though nothing embarrassing had happened. At the next gate, I asked where she wanted me to stand before reaching for the handle. The folded instructions stayed in my pocket.

In your own words, explain how and why the writer's attitude towards receiving help changes during this experience.