I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.

When someone's wounded, the first order of business is to stop the bleeding. You can figure out later how best to help them heal.

Don't you make fun of me or my children! Some babies are premature. Mine were all postmature. That's why they're so smart. Their brains had longer to develop.

Don't worry, God understands,' Mom said. 'He knows that your father is a cross we must bear.

Nobody's perfect. We're all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels.

Dad was a philosopher and had what he called his Theory of Purpose, which held that everything in life had a purpose, and unless it achieved that purpose, it was just taking up space on the planet and wasting everybody's time.

My life is not just about the past.