“Surely, things will get better," she said. I wanted to know just one thing. Who the hell was "Shirley," and why should I believe her?”

“Why must it be in human nature to hear one thing but to believe in another?""Because we want things to get better," I said. "Otherwise we would all give up.”

“But there are things I want to do before I die, a whole list that I know I probably won't get to, but I'm sure as hell going to try.”

“Just say she never gets to hear me say that I always knew she was something special and that's why I was so horrible to her. Because people with that much spirit frighten the hell out of me. They make me want to be a better person when I know it's not possible.”

“... And Harold came into Perpetua's apartment.He said, 'I just want to know one thing. Are you happy?' 'Sure,' Perpetua said. (Donald Barthelme, "Perpetua")”

“Then she smiled and told me I was cute, and that I should be careful, and I asked her why, then she said that she might fall for me, but I know she was joking, because who would want to fall for me? I'm a mess.”