A Man's Got to Know His Limitations..

The title was a famous line from a Dirty Harry movie, played by Clint Eastwood. Knowing one's own limitations is not always easy. A limitation could be physical, mental as in mental abilities, or psychological. For instance, someone might not be able to run very fast, or maybe someone doesn't know how to dance. A different example would be if someone was very bad at math, or was a very slow reader. These also would be limitations. As well as a psychological problem, like agoraphobia, which is a fear of being outside.
My biggest limitation is because of CFIDS (chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome) because it puts limits on what I can do. Or, to put it another way, I have very limited physical energy. There are times when I would like nothing more than to help a friend or friends, and I am unable to do so.
This problem with energy, and CFIDS in general, prevents me from traveling, whether for pleasure or to benefit someone else. I was asked recently to go with some friends on long drive to help them with a couple of situations where they wanted help with English. I couldn't because of what it would have cost me. The cost would have been a minimum of spending at least a day or two in bed. And when my energy gets depleted (used up), that's when it becomes easy for me to catch something like a cold, or the flu.
It's hard to explain to people how this disease limits me. One reason is that no matter how bad I feel, I don't look sick. When my brother, Jeff, was alive, we went to a number of coventions in order to get books signed, as well as buy rare books. We never spent more than a day, but they were long days. We would leave early in the morning, and get home very late. After one of these conventions, it would take me sometimes as much as a week to recover.
So, the point I suppose, is that I have a very good sense of what my physical limitations are because of my experience with CFIDS. Over the course of time, I have learned what I can do, and what price I will pay, whether small or large, for all expenditures (spending of) of my physical and mental energy.
All the same, it is very hard to say no to a good friend. After all, what is more natural than wanting to help a friend? So when I am not able to, I feel bad. But, one has to accept that he/she is merely human, and all humans have their limitations. And regardless of how we feel about them, it is a good thing to know one's limitations. And that's all I'll say about that.
The following statement is not a self-endorsement, but was typed in by a young friend who refuses to be denied.
Annie: John is a really,really nice,kind,funny,smart and stupendous.