Living Outside The Lines: “Death By Can’t”

I work at a college, and I’ve not come across any student who would not threaten to call the president if faced with the same situation as Booker.

by, Becky j Miller

How many times a day do we utter, or hear someone else utter those two small but incredibly lethal words, “I can’t”? Are the words true? Are we physically incapable, or are we simply unwilling? Most often it is the latter. Be honest, how often do we say, “I can’t” when we really could if we wanted to, but putting forth the effort to try is just too hard? 

Perhaps “I can’t” seems like an easy way to let someone down without disappointing them? #IGuess… The purpose of this column is to actually address a much deeper issue; when the use of  “I can’t” becomes, a crutch preventing forward motion.

What do I mean? Reading an excerpt from Martin Olasky’s book, World View I was struck by a story about Booker T. Washington. According to Olasky, Booker was born into slavery, but freed after the Civil War ended.  Even free, he found himself working in the salt mines of West Virginia at the tender age of 9. 

Booker’s parents paid a black literate ex-soldier to teach him and his siblings how to read. He worked long hours in the salt mines then came home each evening and studied. When he was 16 years old, a new high school for blacks opened some 500 miles away. He covered most of those miles on foot.

When he arrived, the headmaster instructed him to sweep and dust an adjoining classroom. Booker did so, going over the room four times before requesting an inspection, which he passed and subsequently was granted admission. To cover tuition, he worked as a janitor at the school, eventually becoming a teacher. 

At 25 years, old this former slave with little formal education became the headmaster at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. His unorthodox program of study led to student protests. They argued they’d come for an education, not to do the manual labor of a slave. 

What struck me about this story was this: Booker was born into adversity, and yet, he refused to allow that to hinder him. He doesn’t sound like the type of person who ever uttered the words, “I can’t.” He was faced with what many would deem insurmountable circumstances and yet he managed to overcome.

We could learn a lot from Mr. Washington. I know of absolutely no one willing to walk 500 miles to gain an education. Most teenagers expect car keys and a gas allowance simply because the state declares they are old enough to drive.

And, imagine this…showing up for class and being asked instead to clean?? How many of us would grunt in disgust, turn around and walk out? I work at a college, and I’ve not come across any student who would not threaten to call the president if faced with the same situation as Booker.

Why has “I can’t” become the default? When did we give up trying? When did we decide life was “too hard”? When did our discomfort become so comfortable that we’d rather cry and scream about the unfairness of it all rather than working to overcome any obstacle placed in our path?

When encountering a wall, why don’t we climb over it, find a way around it, dig under, knock it down, or blast through it?? Unless we are physically incapable, “I can’t” should be stricken from our vocabulary. When hearing those nasty little words, my husband likes to respond, “You mean you’re unwilling?” 

If Mr. Washington, doomed to life as an illiterate slave/laborer, could find a way to become educated, then certainly in 2017, there is no reason for any of us to suffer an “I can’t” related death.  

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller

“Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.