“Life's too short to care about what other people think. Besides, they should accept us for who we are”

“Mom became even more concerned about my values when my editor offered me a job writing a weekly column about what he called the behind-the-scenes doings of the movers and shakers. Mom thought I should be writing exposes about oppressive landlords, social injustice, and the class struggle on the Lower East Side. But I leaped at the job, because it meant I would become one of those people who knew what was really going on. Also, most people in Welch had a pretty good idea how bad off the Walls family was, but the truth was, they all had their problems, too--they were just better than we were at covering them up. I wanted to let the world know that no one had a perfect life, that even the people who seemed to have it all had their secrets.”

“People are like animals. Some are happiest penned in, some need to roam free. You go to recognize what's in her nature and accept it.”

“Anyone who thinks he's too small to make a difference has never been bit by a mosquito”

“People worried too much about their children. Suffering when you're young is good for you. It immunized your body and soul...”

“Mom always said people worried too much about their children. Suffering when you are young is good for you, she said. It immunized your body and your soul.”

“Maybe I should have cut him some slack. With his broken wing and lifetime of eating roadkill, he probably had a lot to be ungrateful about. Too much hard luck can create a permanent meanness of spirit in any creature.”