A Favorite

At 12 years of age I conducted an Eagle Court of Honor for Jim. It was a great evening. Funny how certain things create a lasting memory. Sorry Jim that this memory isn't entirely based on you receiving your Eagle or the emotional Eagle response you gave. It isn't about the hoop dancer and the story of the eagle feather. It isn't about Jay standing lock kneed and nearly passing out on the stage during the trail to eagle presentation. No, this is solely a memory of Alfred Walter Fontano and the talk he gave that night. I have no other memories of Grandpa speaking, just this one.

Grandpa Alfred shared a few stories and then a poem that has become one of my favorites.
There was the story of the shoe repair, the story of the short cut through the graveyard on a stormy night. The poem, It Couldn't be Done by Edgar Guest.

It Couldn't Be Done
Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.



I love this poem. I have shared it many times. On a day when some doubts tried to creep into my mind it was nice to remember this. Thanks Grandpa.