One of the hardest things about being alive is being with other people.

The men loved jokes, though they had heard each one before. Jack's manner was persuasive; few of them had seen the old stories so well delivered. Jack himeself laughed a little, but he was able to see the effect his performance had on his audience. The noise of their laughter roared like the sea in his ears. He wanted it louder and louder; he wanted them to drown out the war with their laughter. If the could should loud enough, they might bring the world back to its senses; they might laugh loud enough to raise the dead.

The thing about opium is that it makes pain or difficulty unimaginable.

There you are, sir. There's nothing more than to love and be loved.

Something had been buried that was not yet dead.

If you have only one life, you cant altogether ignore the question: are you enjoying it?

The physical shock took away the pain of being.