“Memory is a wonderful thing if you don't have to deal with the past.”

“You have your wonderful memories," people said later, as if memories were solace. Memories are not. Memories are by definition of times past, things gone. Memories are the Westlake uniforms in the closet, the faded and cracked photographs, the invitations to the weddings of the people who are no longer married, the mass cards from the funerals of the people whose faces you no longer remember. Memories are what you no longer want to remember.”

“If you don’t deal with the past, the past deals with you.”

“Teeth could befixed, the past couldn't be. He wondered if memories could be. He wanted to fix his memories.”

“Don't live in regret! It is such a useless idea.Use the memory to prevent us do bad things!Regret is a childish wish, or an empty hope,trying to revise the bitter memory of the past.”

“To deal with things knowledge of things is needed. To deal withpeople, you need insight, sympathy. To deal with yourself, you neednothing. Be what you are--conscious being--and don't stray away fromyourself.”