"Can't never did anything till he cut off his tail and had can"

When I was in second grade my siblings and I stared going to a new school. We made the switch from a british school to an american school, and there were a lot of mysterious and intriguing things about this new school. We had a music teacher, Mr. Miller who had this saying posted in huge letters above the blackboard at the front of the music room. I puzzled over it for years... it conjured funny images in my head-- of cans with Eeyore like tails, de-tailed cans, and big silver scissors with black handles, the kind that teachers get to use. I had some sort of an idea about what it meant, but was never quite sure how it all made sense. It is still a funny thing to me.

I often wonder if and how little messages like this are internalized. I was thinking about it today as I cut my hair. Which, I do. A lot. Because I have short hair and it grows fast, and if it needs cutting, the fastest way to get it done is to just do it. (Thankgoodness for pretty forgiving hair...) Its something I've always loved about art and the creative process; you dream up something and you have to figure out how to make it happen. And then you do it. And you birth these otherly things into existence. Its crazy fun! And empowering. And you keep DOING things, cause you can. And you know you can, because you did. Anyhow, as I was cutting my hair, I thought of this little saying. And of Mr. Miller and it made me smile. And I wonder if that is where it all started. Here's to you, Mr. Miller, and cutting off our tails so we have can!