WHO SAID THAT?

I collect quotes. Over time they have grown into a collection that is organized either by subject or by source. There is a large file on “Life”, another on “Persistence”. Some individuals are so well represented that I keep their contributions together, whatever the subject. It’s a way to identify with people who have not only lived notable lives but also shared a clear eyed view that resonates with me in the here and now. If I concur with Mark Twain, Buddha, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan, Mother Theresa, Jesus, Shakespeare, not to mention so many other notables; I think it’s fair to say that I keep some pretty good, philosophical company. When presented with a vexing or at least conflicting set of possibilities I think to myself, ‘What would Marcus Aurelius or Chief Joseph say about this?’ 

My mother had a flip-calendar on her kitchen windowsill with a different bible verse for every day. By the time she got back around to January, they were all new again. I could do that, make my own flip-calendar with my own sense of timely quotes rather than religious affirmations. On New Year’s Day I could go to Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” MLK Jr. Day could come from the Bible but I would lean toward his own words concerning; “. . . the content of one’s character rather rather than the color of their skin.” On April 15 it’s JFK’s, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” Then on the 4th of July, Samuel Johnson, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” Hey, I’m on a roll. Imagine 365 sound bites on a single rolodex, funny, insightful, profane, divine, one for each day of the year; all applied to nurture a healthy attitude. A calendar of date appropriate quotes; that will be a task. I’ll have to start now if I want it for next year.