January 8, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

“It couldn’t be done” read by Erica Guelfi

It Couldn’t Be Done
BY EDGAR ALBERT GUEST
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
      But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
      Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
      On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
      That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;
      At least no one ever has done it;”
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
      And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
      Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
      That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
      There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
      The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
      Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
      That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

Watch the SJO graduation ceremony here.

Banner
Related Posts

5 questions with Mallory Wagner

April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023

Mallory Wagner plays Jay in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Mallory five questions before the final show today at...

Kids Say….

March 8, 2019

March 8, 2019

Every week we will have five students from an area school answer a question for us. This week it’s five...

SJO Board to discuss basketball at November meeting

November 4, 2020

November 4, 2020

Basketball isn’t a sure thing at St. Joseph-Ogden High School this winter. The district will have to decide whether to...

‘We are here to stay’

September 19, 2019

September 19, 2019

AJ’s Station is here to stay. Owner Anthony Laubscher said he wanted to let the St. Joseph community know, that...

Kelso add commercial space for rent

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Josh Kelso wants to help expand commercial space in St. Joseph. The owner of Kelso Heating and Cooling knows how...

Remembering Ross Booker: ‘We are missing something special now that he’s gone’

March 8, 2022

March 8, 2022

Before responding to an accident that would ultimately claim his life, Ross Booker made a point to roll down the...

10 things you don’t know about me… Karin Poulter

February 6, 2020

February 6, 2020

Every week we ask an area resident to tell us 10 things we don’t know about them. This week we...

Auto shop offering free oil changes to healthcare workers

June 12, 2020

June 12, 2020

St. Joseph Automotive and Diesel is helping the people who help us. During the month of June, in collaboration with...

Kidd hopes to ‘Gather the Good’ on blog

January 22, 2019

January 22, 2019

Nancy Kidd knows there is good in all people. The St. Joseph resident said that as a former juvenile detention...

St. Joseph Middle School 6th Grade High Honor Roll

November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023

FIRST NAME LAST NAME Jovie Anderson Adalyn Bacon June Barnhart Elijah Bronowski Ethan Burnett Bowen Crackel Kolton Cruz Cameron Daly...

St. Joseph MIddel School 7th Grade High Honor Roll

November 9, 2021

November 9, 2021

Ahart, Lillian Barbee, Zhou Bello, Abigail Burnett, Colin Clark, Elizabeth Crider, Abigail Dahl, Hayden Davis, Iris Farber, Madison Franzen, Nolan...

Krall joins Longview Bank

April 22, 2021

April 22, 2021

Brad Krall is coming home. Krall is now the Loan Officer and Mortgage Lender at Longview Bank in St. Joseph....

SJO Winter Sports Letter/Awards Winners

March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

Dance TeamKatie EarleyCourtney MyrenSamantha BeetzGrace GettyTaylyn LockhartOlivia GettyReese WheatleyMadison WolkenAbby GettyLily RiceGracyn Sjoken MIP- Lily RiceDance Your Heart Out Award-...

Comments
Leave a Reply