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I Quotes

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All I Quotes

“It’s a lot like when we screwed the climate, to be honest. You never think you’re going to affect something as big as that. I mean, I’m just burning a little coal here, right? The planet’s very big, this piece of coal or cup of oil or forest of trees, it can’t be important in the grand scheme of things. A weird blind spot for a species all too happy to consider itself the centre of the universe in every other way.”

“It's a lovely mask," Sara said, toying with the narrow black silk ribbons before tying it in place. Monique had artfully fashioned it out of black silk and lace, and glinting blue sapphires that matched her gown. "I'm not nervous at all." It was true. She felt as if some reckless stranger had replaced her usual cautious self. The midnight-blue gown molded to her figure, cut so low that her breasts seemed ready to spill from the meager bodice. A broad satin sash fastened with a gold buckle emphasized her small waist. The mask covered the upper half of her face but revealed her lips, which Monique and Lily had insisted on darkening with the faintest hint of rouge. Laboriously they had arranged her hair in a cluster of curls on top of her head, allowing a few ringlets to dangle teasingly against her cheeks and neck. A perfume that reminded Sara of roses blended with some deeper foresty scent had been applied sparingly to her bosom and throat. "A triumph," Monique had declared, gloating over the transformation. "Beautiful, worldly, but still fresh and young... ah, chérie, you will make many conquests tonight!" "Stunning," Lily had said, beaming with delight. "What a stir she'll cause.”

“It's a maddening dig First and Onlys often hear from our friends and family back home. 'You've changed.' I was still the same person inside, but aren't we all meant to change throughout our lives? ...At the time, I didn't fully grasp that for First and Onlys, our efforts to recalibrate and survive in new spaces can often be misunderstood as leaving our friends, our culture, or our families behind. We face dual rejection—in our new environments and in our old ones—for opposite reasons.”

“It's a matter of reasoning," said Poirot. "The dog, he argues from reason. He is intelligent, he makes his deductions according to his point of view. There are people who may enter a house and there people who may not - that a dog soon learns. Eh bien, who is the person who most persistently tries to gain admission, rattling on the door twice or three times a day - and who is never by any chance admitted? The postman. Clearly, then, an undesirable guest from the point of view of the master of the house. He is always sent about his business, but he persistently returns and tries again. Then the dog's duty is clear, to aid in driving this undesirable man away, and to bite him if possible. A most reasonable proceeding.”

“It's a messy business, dying,' he said. 'As time goes on there's just less and less of you. It happens quickly for some; for others it can drag on. Starting from birth you keep losing one thing after another: first a finger, than an arm, first a tooth, then a whole set of teeth, first one memory, then all your memory, and so on and so forth, until one day there's nothing left. Then they chuck what's left of you in a hole and shovel it in and that's your lot.”

“It's a misery peculiar to would-be writers. Your theme is good, as are your sentences. Your characters are so ruddy with life they practically need birth certificates. The plot you've mapped out for them is grand, simple and gripping. You've done your research, gathering the facts; historical, social, climatic culinary, that will give your story its feel of authenticity. The dialogue zips along, crackling with tension. The descriptions burst with color, contrast and telling detail. Really, your story can only be great. But it all adds up to nothing. In spite the obvious, shining promise of it, there comes a moment when you realize that the whisper that has been pestering you all along from the back of your mind is speaking the flat, awful truth: IT WON'T WORK. An element is missing, that spark that brings to life in a real story, regardless of whether the history or the food is right. Your story is emotionally dead, that's the crux of it. The discovery is something soul-destroying, I tell you. It leaves you with an aching hunger.”

“It's a mix of chilaquiles and cheesy grits--- something my grandmothers used to make, in their own ways. One was Black, from Georgia, and the other was Mexican, from Veracruz. I grew up eating both, and this is kinda like a blend of the two worlds. A little homage to both of them." I took a bite, and the flavors exploded--- creamy, sharp cheese with the slight crisp of tortillas, balanced with the rich softness of the eggs. The grits were smooth and buttery, while the spice from the salsa brought the dish to life. I laughed. "This does taste like one foot in the South and the other across the border.”

“It's a modern twist on the French poet Anatole France's quip 'The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.' In [i]Citizens United[/i], it is more like 'The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the government from prohibiting rich and poor alike from expending billions of dollars in politics.”

“It's a most peculiar psychology—this business of 'Science is based on faith too, so there!' Typically this is said by people who claim that faith is a good thing. Then why do they say 'Science is based on faith too!' in that angry-triumphal tone, rather than as a compliment? And a rather dangerous compliment to give, one would think, from their perspective. If science is based on 'faith', then science is of the same kind as religion—directly comparable. If science is a religion, it is the religion that heals the sick and reveals the secrets of the stars. It would make sense to say, 'The priests of science can blatantly, publicly, verifiably walk on the Moon as a faith-based miracle, and your priests' faith can't do the same.' Are you sure you wish to go there, oh faithist? Perhaps, on further reflection, you would prefer to retract this whole business of 'Science is a religion too!”

“It's a myth that people who live in cities are naturally more open-minded, more accepting and tolerant of difference. The truth is, whatever people are, be it saints or bigots, they simply are these things, and the city - by smashing all those different kinds of people up against one another - just makes people's tolerance (or lack of it) all that much more pronounced.”

“It’s A New Day! The light of a new day breaks through my window. Sunlight washes over me, and a soft wind billows the curtains, brushing them against my face. I gather the fabric in my hands, holding it like a flag raised to greet the morning. I linger there for a moment, until a dull throbbing in my temples reminds me of a night with too little sleep. I move slowly back to my bed, cradling my head in my hands. *Why only twenty-four hours?* The question arises automatically, and just as quickly, I remember the counsel I’ve been given: to seek more is a symptom of stress, a lack of trust in the time I’ve already been given. *What’s on the agenda today?* I ask myself, almost by rote. Instantly, my mind lurches into gear, racing through a mental catalog of appointments and obligations. The sheer weight of it all overwhelms me, and the headache returns with a vengeance. As I press my palms to my temples, the unfinished tasks and failures from yesterday come rushing back. The pain sharpens, forcing me to sit on the edge of the bed, unsteady. How long will I be held hostage by yesterday and paralyzed by tomorrow? I lie back, my gaze fixed on the blank expanse of the ceiling. I consciously tune it all out, making the effort to turn my heart toward my Father. Slowly, then surely, I find a quiet solace in His presence. From that peace, I draw the strength to learn from yesterday without being chained to it. In that stillness, my perspective shifts. Today—this single, present day—emerges as the only currency I have. It is the only space in which I can choose joy, and the only time I have to deploy my unique gifts upon a world that is waiting. It’s a new day; I am poised to take maximum advantage of it.”