“Sometimes you've got to shout the truth and wake people up.”

“You've got to love yourself with all your short comings, and you've got to love the world no matter how bad it gets.”

“What in the world are we going to do with you?' Mrs. Ritter asked.I could think of a few things.Take it easy on me.Teach me different.Care about me just a little.So many times that year I wanted to shout,'It's not like I'm waking up in the morning and trying to mess up. I just don't get it!”

“You don't understand how much light you've got until the lights go out”

“I've got my Replogle globe, because you've got to keep a world view, you can't just live like you're the only person on the planet who matters”

“But through it all I held Mrs. Pettibone's words in my heart-the ones she spoke to me after the funeral when she took my hand, looked into my face and said, "You've got your father's eyes.”

“Sometimes just getting up in the morning and standing at the gate can bring the gate down.”