The turning point was when I hit my 30th birthday. I thought if really want to write it's time to start. I picked up the book How to Write a Novel in 90 Days. The author said to just write three pages a day and I figured I can do this. I never got past Page 3 of that book.
We were probably the last people in the country to get a VCR and we didn't have cable. There wasn't any admiration of glamour no 'I want to look like them or have that lifestyle' because everyone in my town had the same lifestyle. So I didn't think 'Ooh a movie star's birthday!' I just thought 'What?'
I hate birthdays. I thought that I only hated my own birthday and then I realized that I hate my children's birthdays too.
When I was little I thought isn't it nice that everybody celebrates on my birthday? Because it's July 4th.
I'm amazed. When I was 40 I thought I'd never make 50. And at 50 I thought the frosting on the cake would be 60. At 60 I was still going strong and enjoying everything.
The return of my birthday if I remember it fills me with thoughts which it seems to be the general care of humanity to escape.
Speaking of Twitter I don't even know if I composed a blog entry in 2009 as I was too busy parceling my every thought into cute 140-character sound bites. I used to only worry about being pithy for a living now some of my best lines are wasted on a free app!
I don't want to tell President Obama how to make a speech. He's a much better speech maker than I am. But I think always to tell the truth in a sometimes blatant way even though it might be temporarily unpopular is the best approach.
The man who has done his level best... is a success even though the world may write him down a failure.
It is often said that second thoughts are best. So they are in matters of judgment but not in matters of conscience.
To be free from evil thoughts is God's best gift.
Nobody until very recently would have thought that their husband was supposed to be their best friend confidante intellectual soul mate co-parent inspiration.
The best books for a man are not always those which the wise recommend but often those which meet the peculiar wants the natural thirst of his mind and therefore awaken interest and rivet thought.
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.
Compassion has no place in the natural order of the world which operates on the basis of necessity. Compassion opposes this order and is therefore best thought of as being in some way supernatural.
A man's sentiments are generally just and right while it is second selfish thought which makes him trim and adopt some other view. The best reforms are worked out when sentiment operates as it does in women with the indignation of righteousness.
In matters of conscience first thoughts are best. In matters of prudence last thoughts are best.