Heaven & Hell

“The mind is its own place
and in itself
can make a heaven of hell,
a hell of heaven.”

-John Milton

Be Kind

"If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway."

--Mother Theresa

Today

"As Grandpa Scarpacci used to say, 'Gaze fondly upon today, because tomorrow will certainly be worse.'"

- Antonio Scarpacci, Wings

The Anchor

From an epsiode on teenage girls out of control:

- the teenage years are a period of extreme feelings
- parent must be an anchor, solid, "the adult"
- acting out is attention seeking
- teenager must develop a respect for self

- "She's Out of Control," Sally Jesse Raphael, 4/11/1995

Regret

"Regret for the past is a waste of spirit."

- NYPD Blue, 4/11/1995

The Elvis Tax

- 100% tax on incredibly stupid purchases, i.e., gold plated faucets

- Bill Moyer, Politcally Incorrect

The Little Boy

"They say that there is a little boy in him."

"Yeah, and if they remove it, he will die."

- Chandler, Friends

Perception

"Perception is a mirror and what I look on is my state of mind reflected outward."

- "A Course in Miracles"

Compassion Fatigue

" - the idea that it isn't so much lack of money but more like a feeling of exhaustion people get from reading about so many problems and not seeing anything getting better."

- Jonathon Kozol, "Amazing Grace," p. 209.

God's Spies

"I meant to tell you, sir. In your next book I would like it if you said something about the manners of our children. They are God's spies on earth, His specialized creations, but their manners need to be corrected."

"I call them spies because they are so vigilant and so observant. They measure us constantly. They try to find out what the hell we think of them...."

"Mostly, they specialize in making us give them more attention."

- Juan Bautista Castro to Jonathon Kozol, "Amazing Grace", p. 76.

Life

"You have to remember, that for this little boy whom you have met, his life is just as important, to him, as your life is to you. No matter how insufficient or shabby it may seem to some, it is the only one he has."

- A priest to Jonathon Kozol, "Amazing Grace," p. 70, 1995 by J. Kozol

Akani'Son

"What is....is."

"What use does one have for a word such as 'sorry'?"

"Once the situation has presented itself, it is the situation which must be addressed - not the circumstance under which it was arrived at."

- Blaquesmith, Marvel Comics, Akani'Son #1

Feeling Life

"I understand now that the vulnerability I've always felt is the greatest strength a person can have. You can't experience life without feeling life. What I've learned is that being vulnerable to somebody you love is not a weakness, it is a strength. Sadness, joy, love, wonder - all feelings - come from a place of grounded strength that comes from trust in yourself."

"We spend so much time trying to control our feelings out of fear that something may happen, that somebody may not love us, or walk away or die. It's only when you stop living in that fear of what other people might do to you or how they will react, only then are your free to be alive."

- Elisabeth Shue, Parade Magazine, 11/23/1997