If a war has to happen, a war has to happen.

There's tons of anger and angst and peculiarity and eccentricity, and good towns know that that's okay. But towns that are kind of bullshit don't know what to do with all those feelings.

I came out of that and said I don't want to go back to feeling depressed. So I asked myself, what can I be optimistic about, in terms of the course of the planet? And I discovered there was no end to the optimism I felt.

I just think the reassurance and the steadiness and the hands-on kindness can make a huge difference.

Some of us have such incredible things that can keep us from acting. We have the luxury of drinking such good wine, and having such good information at our fingertips. I can look up anything on my computer. And I can call any friend at the drop of a hat on my cell phone. And I can have beautiful clothing and great food in a world where people are being tortured. I have some responsibility for that.

In the laughing times we know that we are lucky, and in the quiet times we know that we are blessed. And we will not be alone.

They preach that I should save the world. They pray that I won't do a better job of it.