My grandmother was a great one to say, “There is no such word has can't.” And despite our arguing, she never changed her attitude. I encourage you to remember this quote when faced with a seemingly impossible task.
When I was selected to attend a seminar in Texas, this same theme was driven home in a slighty different way. Mamie McCullough asked us to describe an "I Can't," and nobody could. She went on to say, "The first and most difficult requirement necessary for achieving success is to believe that you can do anything you want to do, no matter how difficult the goal or whatever the handicap, by convincing yourself of the truth that "I can."
As far as it is known, no one has ever described the shape, size or color of an "I Can't."
"I Can't" must be one of two things, either "I don't know how," or "I won't." Both can be remedied.
It is possible to see, feel, touch and describe the secret for accomplishing your fondest dreams by believing strongly enough that "I can."
I still have the "can" with the "I Can't" label on it that we received during the seminar. I still have the lesson in my mind, so it wasn't strange when I ran across a story one day recently that says it all.
It seems there was a couple who bought a farm in a small community 60 miles west of Omaha. It was beautiful property, which included a creek and a barn built in the 1920s. The barn floor, however, was always wet and muddy. Then, the creek flooded in 1988 and the barn floor was covered with 29 inches of water.
That was the last straw for the man who lived there. The man felt he needed to move it to higher ground and contacted a building moving company. The bid was more than discouraging, so the barn became a tragic conversation for all the neighbors. The man started to think about his situation and thought that if he could get enough people together, they could just pick the barn up and move it to higher ground. Everyone laughed.
A few days later the man’s son showed his father some calculations. He had counted the individual boards and timbers in the barn and estimated the barn weighed approximately 16,640 lbs. He also estimated that a steel grid needed to move the barn would add another 3,150 pounds, bringing the total weight to just over 10 tons. He figured it would take around 350 people with each person lifting 56 pounds to move the barn.
The town of Bruno, Nebraska, was planning its centennial celebration late in July of 1988. Herman and his son, Mike, presented their barn moving idea to the committee. The committee decided to make the barn moving project part of their celebration. So on July 30th, shortly before 11 o'clock that morning, a quick test lift was successfully made. Then, as local television cameras and 4,000 people from 11 states watched, 350 people moved the barn 115 feet south and 6 feet higher up a gentle slope and set it on its new foundation.
The reason most people think that something cannot be done is because they know they can't do it themselves. But impossible things can be done if people join together in the task. Working together, we can not only move barns, but we can also change the world.
We need to be like the bumblebee. Scientists can prove that it is aerodynamically impossible for the bumblebee to fly; its body is too heavy and its wings too light to sustain flight. Since the bumblebee, however, chooses not to be affected by this sophisticated opinion. He flies. He works. He achieves.
Never again will I question my grandmother, Mamie McCullough, the farmer’s logic, or even the bumblebee. We are capable of doing anything if we want to. Cooperating with others and having some faith can move mountains (or barns). Intelligent thinking can provide a plan, and a willingness to want to work with others will prove "We can.”
To all those who think our country is in a mess, “We can” change things if we want to; we just need to use our intelligence and willingness to work with others. "We can" do it!
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• Thursday, September 29th: Inez Shaunce, Norrine Jensen, Gail Kaplan, Annette Flugum, Millie Flugum, Ellen Pence, Jenna Quimby, Kevin Klemmensen, Linda Schmidt, Fran Ladlie, Ron & Donna Sletten, Dave & Donna Maixner.
• Friday, September 30th: Chloe Walterman, Dean Hunt, Elmer & Joan Vanden Heuvel, Gilbert & Harriet Larson, Todd & Cheryl Utpadel, Amy & Shannon Vander Syde, Aaron & Jean Klemmensen, Tiffany & Luke Mueller, Kelly & Joshua Warke.
• Saturday, October 1st: Kaeli Wayne, Ana Renee Larson, Lois Plunkett, Larry Crabtree, Vince Bergdale, Brian Flor, Melinda Milan, Renae Thompson Weatherley, Lisa Lembke, Carl & Brenda Shadden, Barbara & William Conly.
• Sunday, October 2nd: Laurie Jensen, Taya Richards, Amanda Hullopeter, Makayla Vangen, David Lembke, Christopher Bergerson, Adrian Jensen, Andrea Zamora, Wilma Ditlevson, Dawn Hanna, Chuck & LuAnn Hanson, Amy & Alex Kromminga, Brooke & Tim Krohn, Brody & Katie Richards, Bob & Kathy Hanson.
• Monday, October 3rd: David Bunn, Lori Neidermeier, Dawn Enzenauer, Colette Holmes, Carrie Thompson, Wendy Thostenson Bogen, Paul Wayne, Lisa Zabel, Larry Carlson, Edna Thomas.
• Tuesday, October 4th: Susan Cornelius Wehr, Helen Jagusch Mantahei, Skyler Hanson, Clair Clausen, Michelle Lageson, Jerome Simon, Dale Waage, Jeff Waage, Lori Zabel, Matt Redmon, John & Cynthia Nelson, Krista & Randy Baana.
• Wednesday, October 5th: Kijah Joy Mikesell, Bethany Otto, Graciela Solveig Ortiz, Larry Pence, Karen Wiersma, Julie Cornelius, Jamie Farr, Elizabeth Randall, Peggy Sorenson, Linda Harding, Karen Kasper, Ray & Bunny Jepson, Jim & Pat Lyle, Wayne & Jo Schimek, Mandi & Darren Johannsen, Doug & Deb Braaten.
Wishing you a day of fond memories and new beginnings.
