“Better to live your life open rather than exist on borrowed time, waiting for the great unmasking.”

“And there's always a better time than right now and there always will be. But right now is what we've got.”

“Things work out better when you're straight up.”

“It's all about getting the hand of things. Easy does it; take it easy. You'll figure everything out in time. But for right now, just keep trying. Pay attention and avoid the temptation to go further than you're ready. Talk less. And listen more.”

“The thing is, that when you're young, you always think you'll meet all sorts of wonderful people, that drifting apart and losing friends is natural. You don't worry, at first, about the friends you leave behind. But as you get older, it gets harder to build friendships. Too many defenses, too little opportunity. You get busy. And by the time you realize that you've lost the dearest best friend you've ever had, years have gone by and you're mature enough to be embarrassed by your attitude and, frankly, by your arrogance.”

“There's the life we dream, the life we deserve, and the life we get. I'll take what I got over what I deserve any day.”

“Life isn't a straightforward climb up the ladder. It can take a few slips to really gain perspective.”