The Can Conundrum

When I was a child, my parents constantly corrected me when I asked "Can I...?"

Their response to that question was "I don't know. Can you?"

That was their way of prompting me to ask properly: "May I...?"

Irritating, funny (at times) - and effective.

Now instead of mentally battling Can vs May, I find myself grappling with a different Can Conundrum: Can vs Will.

Can I do that? Yes, yes I can.

But WILL I do that? Honestly, I'm not always sure. It depends on my time, my energy, my willingness/desire to do that instead of something else.

It's very easy to say "I can" when you're competent and you want to please others.

It's a far harder thing to say "I will" and really mean it. And, perhaps, even harder still to ask yourself "Will I?" before opening your mouth at all.