“It is some accomplishment to suffer fear, but to plod on nonetheless. There is some pride in survival.”

“This is the difficulty with learning a language: not always knowing if words contain more than they say.”

“You’re going to have some really sexy scars back here, Owe.”“Do girls go for that sort of thing?”She was surprised to hear him speak and realized he’d spit out the piece of wood. It was marred with impressions of his teeth. “Scars like this are a sign you’ve survived in battle.”“Some battle,” he said ruefully. “Me and a cactus going three rounds, and I nearly bit the dust.”

“Are you some kind of foot fetish?”

“Some things go too deep for words.”

“Overachievers, here's some good and some bad news. The good news is, that you're smart, special, and you're raising the bar. The bad news is: very few people will like you.”

“Within the first twenty years of our lives, before we are really adult, we make choices motivated by insecurity, fear, and other people's expectations; certinly not guided by clarity and wisdom. We plod along for years living with the wrong career or spousal choice, in a location we did not choose and perhaps do not like, and much more. One day we wake up restless and confused, and acknowledge that we have no agenda of our own, and that we have been living someone else's passion, their dream.”