People in cars cause accidents and accidents in cars cause people.

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

... I never was one to get upset about a few scratches on a motor vehicle, it is meant to be used, not saved.

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.

A married guy is responsible for everything, no matter what. Women, thanks to their having been oppressed all these years, are blameless, free as birds, and all the dirt they do is the result of premenstrual syndrome or postmenstrual stress or menopause or emotional disempowerment by their fathers or low expectations by their teachers or latent unspoken sexual harassment in the workplace, or some other airy excuse. The guy alone is responsible for every day of marriage that is less than marvelous and meaningful.

Intelligence is like four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.

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.