Boys, the first drink is a boon, the second is a gamble, the third is poor judgment, and then the rate of descent gets steep

You don't have to justify a beautiful stroke of good luck. Accept it. Smile and say thank you.

Being Lutheran, Mother believed that self-pity is a deadly sin and so is nostalgia, and she had no time for either

Have interesting failures.... If you need to have a personal crisis have it now. Don't wait until midlife, when it will take longer to resolve.... Don't pity yourselves. Lighten up. Seek people with a sense of humor. Avoid humorless people-and do not marry one, for God's sake.

Your car, comfort though it be, this little den and dining room on wheels, is a prison that deadens your senses, and to feel wholly alive you must go for a walk.

I want to resume the life of a shy person.

We come from people who brought us up to believe that life is a struggle, and if you should feel really happy, be patient: this will pass.