100 Watercolors #73 - I Can't

In high school, I was very tall and gangly, with almost no upper body strength.  I couldn't do a pull-up to save my life.  One day in gym we were supposed to climb these giant ropes.  We were not given any instruction and I incorrectly assumed that one did this by pulling oneself up with one's arms.

I was getting more and more frustrated and kept saying "I can't do it!" until my gym teacher finally yelled at me, something like, "Alec, you're so focused on what you can't do, you're not even trying!"  This made me really angry so I tried even harder, and in that moment, instinctually, my feet scissored the bottom of the rope, I was able to get a grip, and I pushed myself up with my legs.  I made it up to the top.

The next theme: Are You Challenging Me?