Mamakat: Favorite Quotes

I tend to collect quotes.  I'm probably not that much different from most people who read many books in that regard.  Some words just stick, winnowing their way into your head, or your heart, while you're engrossed in the story.  You find yourself thinking of them at odd moments, or after a long day.  Some words can build you up or help you gather your courage. During my cancer treatment I have grabbed onto quotes about resilience, or survival, because I needed them. 

But I've got others. 

One of my favorite books is Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens.  It's a humorous tale of "what if" involving angels and devils, good and evil, with blurry lines in between.  But it is this quote that stuck with me, because it is so positive, so happy.  It's pleasant to think of a group of boys running through the park at breakneck speed, a cheerful yellow dog chasing after them.  There are infinite options available to boys at that age, at least when I imagine it. 

“If you want to imagine the future, imagine a boy and his dog and his friends. And a summer that never ends.”
― Neil Gaiman, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch


Which brings me to my next quote: 

This one resonates with me.  It's why I work in the field I do.  Children are to be treasured like the gems they are.  No child should ever be harmed in any way, not anywhere.  Their potential should be nourished and cherished, not destroyed.  In my opinion, people who harm children, including those who deny their parents the food stamps they might need to feed them, are as evil as any warlord in Africa.

The last quote I'm sharing today is one I collected in high school from John Steinbeck.  Choice is something very powerful.  People without choices feel powerless.  Those who are allowed to have choices in their lives feel in control, powerful.  Those choices may not always be the best ones, but the great thing about choice is that sometimes you can choose a different path. That's quite humbling.

“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden



Kat Bouska of Mama's Losin' It fame has a writer's workshop on Thursdays where people can share.  This is the prompt I chose:

6. Share a favorite quote (or group of quotes) that you enjoy and describe what they mean to you.