“The thing is to become a master and in your old age to acquire the courage to do what children did when they knew nothing. ”

“When you do nothing, what do your children inherit? They inherit, nothing.”

“you're a terrible liar. sarah never mentioned me, because there's nothing to say. when did that happen. when did the old rock-climbing, mutiple-master's-degree kate lose her edge ? i'm no more exciting than an advertsing demographic. middle aged suburban white woman.”

“...it is so silly of people to fancy that old age means crookedness and witheredness and feebleness and sticks and spectacles and rheumatism and forgetfulness! It is so silly! Old age has nothing whatever to do with all that. The right old age means strength and beauty and mirth and courage and clear eyes and strong painless limbs.”

“I had never liked bullying of any sort, especially when an individual acquires his courage by becoming part of a faceless mob. I always say if you need fake courage, get it out of a bottle like I do.”

“What if experience is disappointment, and a human’s old age has no sense, and all what we acquire in our lifetime is a habit for disappointment?”