The formal education that I received made little sense to me.

Optimism with some experience behind it is much more energizing than plain old experience with a certain degree of cynicism.

Nobody likes to see that which they've invested in disappear from the face of the earth before they've even died. This is not cool. We can now see what the landmarks, in fact are.

Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box

The only thing I fear more than change is no change. The business of being static makes me nuts.

when the time came I would do battle with my mother for the right to sit at the center of my own life.

To make real change, you have to be well anchored - not only in the belief that it can be done, but also in some pretty real ways about who you are and what you can do.