Grown ups say some dumb things to youth… parents to their kids, teachers to students… it comes in a variety of phrases and situations. My top three dumbest things adults foist on youth includes at #1 - “there’s nothing to be afraid of.”. I give bonus stupid points for this comment in situations like when the youth is rock climbing or doing something risky. Please stop minimizing or encouraging kids to bury their fears. Coming in at #2 (take a moment to chuckle if you must \ at me saying #2) we have an old standard - “because I said so.” This classic power move of laziness does nothing for the student or child except to get them to mumble things under their breath about how you sound like a tool and the pointlessness of the task. Try a more creative approach and get down off of your plastic throne. If you find yourself about to say this, take a moment to consider how it sounds to hear that from someone and rephrase. The life you save could be your own. And finally coming in at #3, a versatile nugget of dumbness, “because I can.” This phrase captures a difference in power and status between speaker and receiver as well as oozes a smidgen of laziness. Although each of these comments could provide suitable material for an article, this post will focus on #3 - why, because I can… just kidding… let me explain.
I have made it one of my goals to reclaim and reinterpret these phrases. Over the years I have focused on encouraging individuals to embrace or use their fears and when in the course of educative interactions finding new ways to get students to do work or that is both meaningless and stupid. In a less than shocking pronouncement, schools are filled with meaningless and stupid task. Mr. Barner, coach and teacher at WHS, explained it best. One a hazy, hot, and humid NJ afternoon during a double session he told me, “J, shit flows downhill and you live in the valley right now. If you move up the hill you still have to deal with shit, but it moves by you fast and lingers somewhere else.” I do appreciate eloquent directness. Too often teachers, etc. pretend something isn’t meaningless and think their students will buy it). Just tell them, they already know (everyone knows - shit is shit. Anyway, back to reclaiming “because I can.”
As mentioned above this phrase reflects power, status, stupidity, and laziness. For example, in 8th grade some 9th graders hooked my underwear to a hook in the locker room and when I asked why they did it, they replied, “because we can.” Since then I’ve heard it used in schools, businesses, car/bicycle interactions - all sorts of ways.
What would happen if we stop using the phrase as a means to demonstrate status and privilege over others? What if we resituated the power behind this phrase and used it as a super power for good not evil? “Because I can” could empower individuals and groups to take on tasks, achieve goals, or just to get out and change the world right in front of them.
I do a lot my thinking about school on bike rides. Last weekend I got to thinking about the phrase “Because I can” on my day in the saddle. My buddy Colin asked me to join his Ride to Fight ALS team to raise money for the ALS Foundation of Washington and Oregon. I jumped at the chance.... You had me at ride my bike for a good cause, but there’s more to it.
Aside from being a world class photographer and awesome dad, Colin is perhaps the most generous person I know. He has a sixth sense for knowing when to reach out. Colin gives to his friends and to strangers. The Beattles had Mother Mary. In Seattle, I had Colin. Whether a beer, a piece of his sister’s gourmet cheese, or bike parts, Colin was there. Back in the day he lived blocks away and now he lives a few states away. Now he is fighting ALS and I had a chance to give something back.
So last weekend I started on my dirt odyssey before it hotted up. I signed up for the 51 mile ride and put together a scenic and slightly stupid loop around Calabasas. I stopped to refill my bottles and to take pics of the sites along the way (Kobe Crash Memorial, the old MASH set, and the rather large rattlesnake sunning themself across the trail). I planned a five hour ride and decided to take my time. The first parts flew by… well the climbs never “fly by” for me, but whenever I needed motivation I thought about all the mountain bike coaching Colin gave me over the years. True confessions - Colin’s gives advice, etc. as freely as he gives beers or a home cooked meal :) He got me riding dirt again after years of road racing and it is not uncommon for me to hear Colin’s voice coaching me as I cruise singletrack. Plus, I figured this was the better choice. The other choice was to think about all the things Colin can’t do anymore, but following his example, I chose to focus on the positive.
So I’m rolling along as Colin’s voice occasionally admonishes me for being careless with my body position and not looking down the trail far enough. At mile 34 I stop to refill bottles and hydrate at my last water source before heading up the canyon and across the last 17 miles. Although I regretted not stopping for Nutter Butters and a Coke, things were fine. Palo Comado always heats up in the afternoon and rarely has a breeze, but if I pedaled fast enough… oh wait, uphill and fast lay outside my wheelhouse. Things stayed fine, but doubt crept in. Maybe you know the doubt I speak of - the voices that begin whispering when things start to get difficult. First my feet swelled in the heat so I had to stop a few times and take my shoes off. Then the water in my bottles started warming up and stagnant water that tastes of plastic never refreshes the weary rider. Soon the heat teamed up with dehydration and the shadows of negativity slowly overtook my confidence. I should mention that for a few reasons I have not ridden more than 40 miles on dirt in a bit and 51 miles on gravel and 51 road miles are not the same (seriously Barry did the math and he’s wicked smart). I should also say that a single piece of cinnamon toast and a pot of coffee don’t provide the best nutrition for that kind of day. The wheels weren’t coming off but my five hour ride seemed to be stretching out (not quite Gilligan’s Island but…).
When the doubts grow in my mind I often start asking myself, “why am I doing this?” And sure, I said things like - “it’s for a good cause” or “because Colin can’t.” Unfortunately that only gets you so far. The voices grew louder as I got up to China Flats and the last breeze for the next dozen miles. My feet needed a break so I sat on a rock to enjoy a breeze and give my feet some time out of the shoes. That’s when I heard it loudest - “J what are you doing? Your training has sucked recently. Why don’t you just turn around? We can cruise down the hill, coast home, get the miles we need, and blow off the 1700 feet of climbing left?”
Generally when things start to go sideways for me during endurance related events (rides, runs, climbs, school) my brain rationalizes changing the plan, to make things easier or entice me to throw in the towel. Sometimes these voices scream at me and other times they whisper enticingly, but on this day I just can’t listen. When your friend wrestles with a degenerative neuromuscular disease, you don’t just bail when things get hard. So when the voices asked why I was doing this to myself, my answer was simple.
Because I can…
Things did not magically get better after that realization.Yet whenever things sucked, I recited my new mantra - Because I can. Each time things seemed grim - Because I can. When my wheels spun out on some loose dirt, I hopped off and walked to a spot where I could hop on and start pedaling - Because I can. I did some ugly riding over the last miles - although I did catch a lovely breeze over the last few downhill miles (first headwind I ever enjoyed). While it is slightly embarrassing to admit that a 50 mile ride knackered me something fierce, I did it - Because I could.
Maybe it was the heat distress, the bonk, and the dehydration but for whatever reason I focused on “Because I can.” I thought about how students could benefit. They don’t have to accept obstacles as insurmountable or the world as it is. If teachers can instill “Because I can” as a positive and confident mindset, students can gain the momentum they need to succeed on their terms. It always seems like individuals are a half step (usually the most difficult step) from success when they bail. If as they approached the angle of repose students said to themselves “Because I can,” that could generate enough momentum to get themselves over the top. Teaching includes both turning negatives into positives and getting your students to look at things from new or different perspectives. Back in the day “Because I can” represented wedgies or getting hosed in some fashion. We can do better than that - because we can.
PS. If you can, please consider being part of the fight against ALS: http://web.alsa.org/site/TR/Endurance/OregonandSWWashington?px=8625378&pg=personal&fr_id=14616