Here Comes the Rain Again

Last night as the rain fell, I poked my head out the front door, and I swear I could hear the trees and shrubs and the grass rejoicing with slightly wilted whoops and shouts. It was a good,steady rain that lasted well into the early morning. Unfortunately, I don't think it was enough. We probably need a week's worth of those kind of showers to catch up from this prolonged dry spell.

In one of my favorite movies Amelie, Nino collects discarded photos from the photo booths in Metro stations. When Gina grills him on proverbs so as to determine whether or not he is worthy of Amelie, Nino asks her, "Do you collect proverbs?" I like Nino because he's a collector and looks for the collector in other people, even for things like proverbs. I've been a collector of many things over the years, but I've always been a gatherer of quotations. In high school I filled my Christmas cards with quotes. My closest friends throughout my life have all received journals filled with quotes, song lyrics, and poems as gifts representative of our friendship.

All good collectors love to share what they've accumulated, like museum curators displaying treasures in glass cases. To roll around in your brain for the weekend, here are a few gems I've picked up recently:

The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. ~Paul Fix

The more decisions you are forced to make alone, the more you are aware of your freedom to choose. ~Thornton Wilder

I love this one, particularly as I have come to know more and more people who willingly allow someone else (family, spouse, friends, government) to tell them how their lives are going to be led.

Strength of numbers is the delight of the timid. The valiant in spirit glory in fighting alone. ~Mahatma Ghandi

This man rocks. His wisdom totally flies in the face of the American emphasis on "teamwork" which I happen to think is bullshit and an excuse for the lazy to continue mooching off of the strong.

I love mankind-it's people I can't stand. ~Charles Schultz

I knew I liked the Peanuts for a reason.