I’d always been afraid of sick people, and so had my mother. It wasn’t that we feared catching their brain aneurysm or accidentally ripping out their IV. I think it was their fortitude that frightened us. Sick people reminded us not of what we had, but of what we lacked. Everything we said sounded petty and insignificant; our complaints paled in the face of theirs, and without our complaints, there was nothing to say.
David Sedaris
Related Each of us views life through a different lens. What we think is colored by the baggage we carry, an... LAURIE BUCHANAN, PHD In every passing moment that is not appreciated time cannot give it back to you. So in moments of id... GARY F EVANS... People started showing up. When I say that all that music sounded sterile to us, I think our first r... CRAIG FINN The words you can’t find, you borrow. We read to know we’re not alone. We read because w... GABRIELLE ZEVIN But he was sick of this charade. Sick of watching people lose a little more of their humanity each d... BROM I think we're sick of hearing about it as well, and we're sick of hearing coach talk about it, what ... JOVON JOHNSON We had complaints all up and down Wabash from people who were tired of students urinating and throwi... LLOYD BENJAMIN We may claim to believe in God, but we don't want to believe so much that it makes us different. CRAIG GROESCHEL The kids knew from the beginning that we had a chance and they were determined. We had people who ha... DREW YOAKUM I came out shooting and I wasn't really thinking about it. They went in, so I was glad it happened f... JOE ALLARIA We know well and we know chronically ill, but there is a whole bunch of gray in between where I thin... MARIE OSMOND We want to reassure the president and the people of the United States that we are their best friends... ANNE MCLELLAN For me, there was nothing like my time with the Eagles - ever. We were young, and the world was new ... MONTE IRVIN What are we so afraid of? Why don't we let 'em tell us we're afraid? What is it they're afraid of?" ... URSULA K. LE GUIN It took us awhile, but we finally just told them to tell us what to do, and we would do it. There wa... BRIAN WATERS It was pivotal in making you but you don't remember it. Or do you? Do we understand the events that ... DOUGLAS COUPLAND What love is it, then, that has no need of words to call us? In whose image are we made, to take suc... CHRISTIAN BOBIN I think being out there and talking to students really helped us win the election. We talked to a lo... DAN NOWISKI We think that kids are better off with their parents if they can remain safely in their home. What w... GARY KLEEBLATT We were able to withstand the physicality of that game really well. It was a very physical game, and... SCOTT GILMORE I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made ... RALPH WALDO EMERSON Listening to Eddy describe his relationship with our mom seemed to indicate that what I feared would... JANET LOUISE STEPHENSON Our work was based in the village, so not many people had access to it, and it gave us an enormous s... GRZEGORZ BRAL 35. God is entitled to a portion of our income—not because He needs it but because we need to give... JAMES C. DOBSON It was an idea we had and we put our ideas to work. Both of us being tanners, there was nothing out ... JACKIE DAVIS I think we have had some stomach flu going around. But we still had some kids improve their times, a... LAURA TICHY When our bodies are sick and people extend their sympathy, bring us soup, offer up solutions. When o... ANNA AKANA We received 17 complaints just last week. People went to seek FEMA aid or get food stamps and found ... KRIS WARTELLE It reminded us when Candice (Britton) got hurt (earlier in the season). We knew what kind of motivat... KEAUNA VINSON One and all, religions have their original prophets, their sacred books, their traditions of ages go... CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN Some people had counted us out because of the recent situation here, and I think our kids responded.... DAN MASHEK People have no limits either in love or in hatred. But is it their fault? They despise us because th... IGOR ELISEEV We gave up a couple of big offensive rebounds right there. We knew it was our will against theirs an... JAY LASLEY Nothing can survive without food. Everything we consume acts either to heal us or to poison us. We t... THICH NHAT HANH I was glad I did it. It was good to finally see that people were listening to us and what we had to ... BERTHA ORTIZ [Then the earth began shaking at Warner Bros.] We just had a wonderful team there, ... But it's just... HEIDI NEWFIELD They played pressure defense on us. We had some difficulty getting into our offense and taking care ... BRAD FUHRER After getting strummed last week (by Americas), well, that was not indicative of the kind of kids we... JEFF CLEVELAND What we do at this point . . . because it's not a pending election, is that we have asked the people... KAREN OSBORNE What really frightens and dismays us is not external events themselves, but the way in which we thin... EPICTETUS We should not blame people by the mistakes of others. DANIEL MELGAçO It was really hard to pick out the people that we had to take, ... A lot of the elderly that we pick... JAMES SWANSON I think Ron plays a major role in the way we run our offense. He's like the engine that pushes us, s... NATHAN PATTERSON My colleague told a family that their mother was very sick, and the son had a heart attack in her of... DAVID MULLER Is pain a state of mind or can there be more to it than what there seems to be? i would say yes if w... GARY F EVANS... We hit the ball real well the first two innings and that gave us a huge edge. It took the wind out o... BILL TUSSEY So many people ask us, 'What do we need to do to get this in our school? How much do I need? Thousan... JASON ENOS It was huge for the mainstream part of our sport, getting a following. We didn't even know what we'd... DANNY KASS When We have Patience in our minds and Love in our hearts, Nothing appears to be impossible or unrea... PHILIP T.M Our people have been so important to us. We thought it was important to help them find their next jo... DAN SAVAGE I didn't think we were too rusty, we played pretty well. Actually, the break was tough for us, we ha... BETH VESA We had maybe the greatest success of any company that I know of in Paris, and after two or three yea... KATHERINE DUNHAM The change was initiated by the majority of our fans. The athletic department, for years, has been r... GARY FRIEDMAN I do think we've become so reliant that the phones are never out of our reach. We're always ... CARLY POPE If a man were to spend years of his life trying to discover the chemical constituency of salt water ... S.I. HAYAKAWA We'd like to think that it is not our fault that great men and women died fighting for the security ... D'ANDRE LAMPKIN David's a great fit for our school district. He's been here and been a part of us. We're proud of wh... BRAD HORTON Convinced that we're living the whole time that we're dying. We decide to go out walking the wh... TEGAN QUIN We said we would meet again but we made no arrangements. Not out of any bad feeling between us, but ... CECELIA AHERN I thought it was good for us to get back together, and get their minds off what had happened. The th... BUBBA DAVIS But once, in his anger, Aidan had asked me whether I thought I had wasted my life, and I had told hi... JOHN BOYNE Why worry about what people think of us do we have more confidence in their opinions than in our ... PETER T. MCINTYRE It gave me a better idea of their ideas for the school district. The key point that many of them mad... CHARLES COLEMAN It was our view of the worst that could befall our people if they were taken captive. So, what was f... JANE MAYER Only 24 percent of men and 39 percent of women say they always wash their hands after coughing or sn... BRIAN SANSONI All three of us just had our eye on what was happening around us, we were very observant to what peo... LAMONT DOZIER It was the same game plan for us, and with Tiffany being out we all knew without even having to say ... ERIKA ARRIARAN Experience was of no ethical value. It was merely the name men gave to their mistakes. Moralists had... OSCAR WILDE If we're honest with ourselves, most of us know the one thing we lack. CRAIG GROESCHEL I'm sick of people sittin' in chairs stating their problems. Then we roll the videotape... t... OPRAH WINFREY We'd like to think that it is not our fault great men and women died fighting for the security of ou... D'ANDRE LAMPKIN We do not perceive what is "out there," rather we perceive what is "in here." Our senses can only in... STANLEY COREN We can't forget Pearl Harbor, but I'm afraid that we might. At one time we had some young people fro... JACK HANNA Physical misery is great everywhere out here Africa. Are we justified in shutting our eyes and ignor... ALBERT SCHWEITZER I hear a lot of people say that the fear of death and the fear of public speaking are two of the mai... JEFFERSON BETHKE As a panting Tracy Ferris scrambled into the life-pod, this thought was precisely what was running t... CHRISTINA ENGELA (from chapter 20, "Bezalel") "We were getting it: worship was not so much what we did, bu... EUGENE H. PETERSON Our intensity was much better than it had been in some recent game, but their intensity was better. ... JENNY TEATER With us, people caught on to something on our third album, and that will never be repeated. Basicall... VICTORIA LEGRAND There was no script for this training. We wanted our regional responders to make decisions based on ... GARY ALLYN Coach was in the locker room telling us what we had to do to come out with the win. We just came out... KORTNEE HINES Ed, it was everything, those nights on the phone, everything we said until late became later and the... DANIEL HANDLER We played like all five of us were sick. We were getting out-rebounded, out-hustled, out-everything,... BOB PUNTER My mother raised us to think that if we worked hard, and if we put our end of the bargain in, it wou... URSULA BURNS I think a lot of people doubted us because we had that skid at the end of the season. But our coache... BEN GUIDUGLI I don't think any of us knew what was happening. But we had a meeting and decided we can still achie... CRYSTAL KELLY We have received numerous complaints about the place from the neighbors, ... We stepped up our routi... CHRIS SULLIVAN I'm truly sick of looking at the people who take what one man said and warp it to suit their needs. ... BRANDON CHRISTOPHER Winning the World Cup was very special because it meant so much to so many. One thing about our coun... MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI This is our big chance to see what people think of us. The real us. We have to show em there's nothi... LISI HARRISON It was nice. Hopefully it raises some money - and what better cause? Our moms have been a big part o... SEAN AVERY I think it was a physical let down. We had a strong inside presence, but our guards were all sick. STEVE KELLAR I've had a lot of people come up and say they listen to our broadcasts, they like what we are doing ... JAKE LEMON In this part of the country, people are so appreciative of what we do, ... It means so much when som... JEFFREY ANDERSON Most of all, we remain focused on our Rock that never moves. CRAIG GROESCHEL (Hidden Valley) was really prepared for us. That was good. We liked the challenge. Our girls had gre... LACEY MADDEN A lot of the work that we do centers around complaints from citizens and what they have passed on us... CAPT. TERRY WRIGHT If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken t... DAVID BEN-GURION September 11 is one of our worst days but it brought out the best in us. It unified us as a country ... LAMAR ALEXANDER We've got exactly what we need to fulfill our destiny! ABHISHEK KUMAR
More David Sedaris
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DAVID SEDARIS It is funny the things that run through your mind when you're sitting in your underpants in front of... DAVID SEDARIS Anyone who watches even the slightest amount of TV is familiar with the scene: An agent knocks on th... DAVID SEDARIS Seven beers followed by two Scotches and a thimble of marijuana and it's funny how sleep comes all o... DAVID SEDARIS I'm just a big liar. DAVID SEDARIS On Undecided Voters: "To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The f... DAVID SEDARIS It was my friend Frank, a writer in San Francisco, who finally set me straight. When asked about my ... DAVID SEDARIS I love things made out of animals. It's just so funny to think of someone saying, 'I need a letter o... DAVID SEDARIS In Paris the cashiers sit rather than stand. They run your goods over a scanner, tally up the price,... DAVID SEDARIS Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you're offered the perfect opportunity to hurt... 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DAVID SEDARIS Someone in our family had taken to wiping his or her ass on the bath towels. What made this exceptio... DAVID SEDARIS The whole notion of the nursing home was something dreamed up by people like my mother; American wom... DAVID SEDARIS The thing to remeber is that more than anything in this world, these colored people wish they were w... DAVID SEDARIS the beauty of an art school: as long as you can pay the tuition, they will never, even in the gentle... DAVID SEDARIS The thought of killing myself had slowed me down to five miles per hour. The thought of killing some... DAVID SEDARIS You have how many children in your family?" the teacher would ask. "I'm guessing you must be Catholi... DAVID SEDARIS What are you, tap dancing up there? You want a put on a show, do you? Well, the theater's closed for... DAVID SEDARIS You just take and take don´t you? Out there with your thumb in the air—not a care in the world, j... DAVID SEDARIS My hands tend to be full enough dealing with people who hate me for _who_ I am. Concentrate too hard... DAVID SEDARIS They're hungry for something they know nothing about, but we, we know all too well that the price of... DAVID SEDARIS Motherfucker, you haven't got the fucking balls God gave a goddamned church mouse. You crawled out o... DAVID SEDARIS Watching him was like opening the door to a siniging telegram; you know it's supposed to be entertai... DAVID SEDARIS He has a passport," my classmates would whisper. "Quick, let's run before he judges us! DAVID SEDARIS Right, I breast feed baby camels in my backyard just for the freaking fun of it. Just tell me where ... DAVID SEDARIS We give anonymously because the sackfuls of thank-you letters break our hearts with their clumsy han... DAVID SEDARIS If nothing else, life in the suburbs promised that you might go from day to day without finding shit... DAVID SEDARIS Motherfucker, you try that again and I'll come in there with a fucking coat hanger and give you some... DAVID SEDARIS As bad a dresser as I am, anything beats being judged by my character. DAVID SEDARIS The Greeks had invented democracy, built the Acropolis and called it a day. DAVID SEDARIS I've always had a way with the little people, making it a point to humor them without looking down m... DAVID SEDARIS I giggled out loud at his stupidity. If anyone knew how to make a bed, it was a faggot. DAVID SEDARIS What I really hated, of course, was my mind. There must have been an off switch somewhere, but I was... DAVID SEDARIS I was a smart-ass, born and raised. This had been my curse and would continue to be so. DAVID SEDARIS College is the best thing that can ever happen to you," my father used to say, and he was right, for... DAVID SEDARIS between the disfigurement and the muzzle, it's nearly impossible to catch what she's saying. Always,... DAVID SEDARIS Shit is the tofu of cursing. DAVID SEDARIS I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective c... DAVID SEDARIS Why refer to Lady Crack Pipe or Good Sir Dishrag when these things could never live up to all that t... DAVID SEDARIS When her muzzle grew more white than brown, the chipmunk forgot that she and the squirrel had had no... DAVID SEDARIS If I'm riding my bike I just replay the same scenarios over and over in my head, like I haven... DAVID SEDARIS The combination of ammonia and chloride can be lethal but I've discovered it can work miracles as lo... DAVID SEDARIS Sometimes the sins you haven't committed are all you have left to hold onto. DAVID SEDARIS That man tried to picka my frienda’s pocketoni! DAVID SEDARIS They were Jesuits," she told me. "That means they believe in God but not in terlet paper. You should... 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AMY SEDARIS I'm very domestic; I love cleaning. I love cooking. I like waiting on people. I just like to mak... AMY SEDARIS I'm not a good storyteller. I always think I'm going to get interrupted, or something's ... AMY SEDARIS People who shop in health food stores never look healthy. AMY SEDARIS I wouldn't call myself a shut-in. I have the ability to leave my home; I just choose not to. But... AMY SEDARIS I think it's still kind of weird to memorize a line, because you're supposed to 'be'... AMY SEDARIS More men than women like 'Strangers With Candy'. Pretty girls don't like the show. They ... AMY SEDARIS I like crafts that are made out of necessity because they're a little naive - you made it becaus... AMY SEDARIS I'm gonna do the whole bedroom in camel color - it's an old lady color. AMY SEDARIS If I put my mind to something, it happens. I do know that's not necessarily psychic. But I alway... AMY SEDARIS You know when you watch old movies, it's always the small parts you remember, the character acto... AMY SEDARIS Sometimes, to keep things exciting, I decorate my house as if I owned a child. I'll toss a tiny ... AMY SEDARIS But I always like to play ugly people who think they're pretty. AMY SEDARIS My father and I have a very good relationship. We always got along. But I always scold him. AMY SEDARIS When people tell me they are going to go scrapbooking, I say, 'Why don't you make it yoursel... AMY SEDARIS Books are challenging and inspirational to me. AMY SEDARIS I love costumes. My dream growing up was always to have my own costume and prop shop. AMY SEDARIS I love theatrical props: a cup filled with solid fake tea, say, or a collection of fake food, includ... AMY SEDARIS I like crafts that come out of poverty or necessity. There used to be hobby shops where you'd ge... AMY SEDARIS I like to decide the night before Thanksgiving that I'm gonna do it, and I'll see what riff ... AMY SEDARIS We're all used to seeing pretty people. I want to see real people. AMY SEDARIS My favorite things often have a story behind them and are usually handmade or discovered at a flea m... AMY SEDARIS I have always wanted a bunny and I'll always have a rabbit the rest of my life. AMY SEDARIS My characters always like themselves. AMY SEDARIS It's all about process to me - as long as it's fun to me, I don't care about the final product. AMY SEDARIS It was more of their quirky show. It was more like a cult show. The ratings weren't really that high... AMY SEDARIS I'm satisfied just thinking of the idea. AMY SEDARIS I choose to do unattractive people, because then I can pretend they think they're attractive. AMY SEDARIS I'm not a first-place person. AMY SEDARIS You know when you watch old movies, it's always the small parts you remember, the character actors w... AMY SEDARIS I always got along with all types of people - popular people as well as drug addicts. AMY SEDARIS It's driving me crazy! It's awful. I saw four last night during the Academy Awards. Four little baby... AMY SEDARIS I choose to do unattractive people, because then I can pretend they think they're attractive. AMY SEDARIS