“That's the number one thing I hear about humans. You have all these choices, so you're confused all the time, and you think so much that you're never happy.”

“I think by the time you're grown you're as happy as you're goin to be. You'll have good times and bad times, but in the end you'll be about as happy as you was before. Or as unhappy. I've knowed people that just never did get the hang of it.”

“You don't do so well with marriage. I don't think you've begun to realize all there is for you to love. And I know you better than anyone & here's what I know about you: You have so much love to give! But I feel like you're all the time digging in the tomato bin, saying, "Where are the apples?”

“that's exactly the good thing about the Injun life--you don't have to stop and think about whether or not you're 'happy'--which in my opinionis a highly overrated human condition invented by white folks”

“It's basically the same in all periods of societies. If you belong to the majority, you can avoid thinking about lots of troubling things.''And those troubling things are all you /can/ think about when you're one of the few.''That's about the size of it,' she said mournfully. 'But maybe, if you're in a situation like that, you learn to think for yourself.''Yes, but maybe what you end up thinking for yourself /about/ is all those troubling things.”

“Do you ever get scared?Yeah. Sometimes. It's not like you're walking around terrified all the time, even when things are going to hell around you. It's just you're....reacting, trying to stay alive. Things are happening so fast that you don't have time to think much of anything except doing your job and trying not to die.It usally affects you afterward, once you're clear. That's when you realize how close you came and sometimes you get the shakes or puke or whatever.”