What she wants to do if she can get the time to do it, is not so much to live in the past as to open it up and get one good look at it".

Life would be grand if it weren't for the people.

The constant happiness is curiosity.

The conversation of kisses. Subtle, engrossing, fearless, transforming.

The images, the language, of pornography, and romance are alike; monotonous and mechanically seductive, quickly leading to despair.

She could not explain or quite understand that it wasn't altogether jealousy she felt, it was rage. And not because she couldn't shop like that or dress like that. It was because that was what girls were supposed to be like. That was what men - people, everybody - thought they should be like. Beautiful, treasured, spoiled, selfish, pea-brained. That was what a girl should be, to be fallen in love with. Then she would become a mother and she'd be all mushily devoted to her babies. Not selfish anymore, but just as pea-brained. Forever.

Things have changed, ofcourse. There are counsellors at the ready. Kindness and understanding. Life is harder for some, we're told. Not their fault, even if the blows are purely imgainery. Felt just as keenly by the recipient, or the non recipient, as the case may be. But good use can be made of everything, if you are willing.