For anyone who has been to the Greene Publishing, Inc. office, 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 for.