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June 03, 2007

"I Can't"

I happened upon a great post over at Dixie's Heart And Soul. Here are some of the highlights. Go over there and read the post, it is good reading.

"All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student closest to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts."

"I can't kick the soccer ball pass second base."
"I can't do long division with more than three numbers."
"I can't get Debbie to like me."
By this time, the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on. As I approached her, I noticed that she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt.

"I can't get John's mother to come in for a teacher conference."
"I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car."
"I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."

"Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of "I Can't." While he was with us on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. His names, unfortunately, has been spoken in every public building - schools, city halls, and state capitols and yes, even The White House.

We have provided "I Can't" with a final resting place and headstone that contains his epitaph. He is survived by his brothers and sisters, "I can, 'I will' and "I'm going to Right Away.' They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet.

2 comments:

unknown said...

technobabe,
I had a teacher in high school that would not allow the phrase "I can't" to be uttered in her classroom. I wish she was here to remind me of that still. hugsssssssssss

that frolicsome kid said...

Thanks for making me more conscious of uttering "I can't"s now. It sounds very negative and it brings the mood down. I guess we need to concentrate on the positives instead. =)