Sunday, April 29, 2012

Daily Kos: "A man's got to know his limitations"

Daily Kos: "A man's got to know his limitations":


"A man's got to know his limitations"

Words spoken by Clint Eastwood in his role as Dirty Harry, Inspector Harry Callahan, in Magnum Force.
I suppose they can serve as a cautionary, even if the phrasing may not be absolutely on target.
The fact that a person can do something, even do it well, does not mean that he should do it.
If I have become clear on anything as the result of the mini-retreat I took this weekend, it is that.
I may not as yet know what I will do for income after this school year.
I know things I will not do, even though I can.
I know that I have to be able to keep writing - too many have told me they do not want to lose my voice, even thought at times they strongly disagree with me.
I know that in some way what I do has to involve the essential aspects of teaching - challenging, encouraging, prodding, pointing at new possibilities, exploring together.
I may at time fantasize at playing a bigger role in politics or policy.  But a man's got to know his limitations.  I have a voice that can contribute to both, but the value of my words on either come from being rooted in a different