A Trying Adventure

A fool says, “I can’t;” a wise man says, “I’ll try.” ~Charles Spurgeon

Dave Vander Laan posted this as a Facebook status yesterday.

I know it’s true.

But it made me laugh.

Because my mother would have so disagreed.

In fact, saying “I’ll try” was not a wise thing to say to her.

At. All.

It stemmed from an adventure she and my sister had several years ago. They were in a car wreck hundreds of miles from home. They were okay, but the car was totaled.

“The car” meaning it was the only one she and Dad owned.

(My sister could tell this story so much better.)

Mom called my dad and told him he needed to come get them.

His response?

“I’ll try.”

That did not fly.

At. All.

“You’ll try? You’ll TRY?”

She and my sister rented a hotel room. Then they went out to eat. “I have a credit card,” she told my sister. “Order whatever you want. As much as you want.”

My dad found a ride.

He knew better than not to.

But those two words were henceforth taboo.

Right up there with ending a sentence with “okay?” when a negative response was not an option.

“It’s time for physical therapy now, okay?”

“Umm, no.”

I can only imagine the scene if my dad had said, “I’ll try. Okay?”

My mom would say, “A fool says, ‘I’ll try;’ a wise man says, ‘I will.'”

And I would say, “If God wills, I will–with His help.”

But I like Spurgeon’s words, too.

Just a fun little post to link with Bonnie’s word prompt today–adventure.