For anyone who has been to the Greene Publishing, Inc. office, in Madison, Fla., they have no doubt seen a row of tombstones in front of the building. These tombstones mark the death and burial of a series of words whose elimination would benefit most of us. One of these words is “can’t.” This is one word, in particular, that deserves to be buried.
I have heard adults say “I can’t do (fill in the blank here with some task that may be challenging, but is certainly achievable with a bit of effort and perhaps some ingenuity).” I am so grateful for a father in particular who never accepted “I can’t” as a viable option for nearly anything. Of course, there are some things that turn out to be impractical, such as “getting blood from a turnip” but, by and large, we are capable of much more than we tend to give ourselves credit.
I think this is why I have so much respect and admiration for those in our community who coach and mentor young people; especially those who teach youngsters that “can’t” should be eliminated from one’s vocabulary. My dad volunteered as a youth football coach for many years. He was a tough coach, but he had the ability to get the most out of the young people he coached. I feel I benefitted greatly from many years of his “coaching,” although at the time I didn’t really fully appreciate it.
I often have the feeling my dad is looking over my shoulder. I try my best to make him smile if he is. I will say the one instance I will use “can’t” is when I say, “I can’t thank you enough for all that toughness and coaching I received as a kid because it taught me that ‘can’t’ should rarely, if ever, be used.” I wish you success in whatever tasks you face here on the Sunny Side. I promise you, you “can” do it.