STORY 14
LET JOE DO ITTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Being put down
■ Not feeling valued
■ Doubting yourself
■ Being scared
■ Engaging in avoidance behaviorsResources Developed
■ Learning from the beginning
■ Learning that practice enhances skills
■ Learning to enjoy what you do
■ Thinking through what others say about youOutcomes Offered
■ Thoughtfulness
■ The benefits of practice
■ Enjoyment of learning
■ Positive self-evaluation
There was a familiar saying that the family had about Joe when he was young. In fact, it even
persisted when he got older. From what they said you might think they meant something different
but, over a long time, Joe had come to know what they meant.
His mother and father said it first, then his sister picked it up, and now even uncles, aunts, and
cousins were saying it.... And mostly they laughed when they did, leaving Joe to feel even worse.
He grew to dread it but knew it wouldn’t be long before someone said it yet again.
What they said was, “Let Joe do it.” Now, an outsider may have thought they were giving Joe a
compliment, suggesting that he was competent and capable of doing things, that the family could
trust Joe to do it. In fact, it meant just the opposite. If Joe was to turn on a tap, the water was likely
to come out in a great rush, splashing all over him or the floor and making a mess in his mother’s
kitchen. Seeing it, the first thing she would say is, “Oh no, let Joe do it.” If he was drying the dishes
and dropped one, it was always a piece of her best crockery. “Let Joe do it,” she’d say. Reaching out
to pick up a glass, his movement was likely to be too quick or too awkward no matter how hard he
tried to get it just right, and even as it fell to the floor, smashing glass and spilling his drink, he could
hear the words, “Let Joe do it.”
Of course, there were other sayings, too. Whenever they went on summer vacation it was al-
most a daily routine for the family to play softball on the beach. If he was fielding, there might be a
nice gentle hit of the ball off the bat, arching high in the air, falling softly toward him with Joe in the
perfect position to make a catch. Somebody would call out, “Watch it, Joe will drop it,” and sure
68 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories